Washington Nationals at San Diego Padres Betting Preview
08 July 2021
Washington has gone just 2-5 in their last seven games, but they played great in the month of June. The Nationals are just four games out of first place in the NL East, but they are still within striking distance.
San Diego has gone just 2-6 in their last eight games, but they are still one of the top teams in the National League. The Padres are 51-38 overall, and they look like a solid pick to claim one of the Wild Card spots in the NL.
The San Diego Padres are the betting favorites at -144 on Thursday night.
Scherzer Starting For Nationals
The Washington Nationals will have their ace on the mound Thursday night as Max Scherzer is set to make the start. Scherzer has gone 7-4 with a 2.10 ERA this season, and he will be upset after not being named to the All-Star team.
Washington put up 15 runs in the win on Wednesday night, but things have not always gone as well for the Nationals this season. It doesn’t help that Kyle Schwarber is out of the lineup due to injury as he leads the team with 25 home runs and 53 RBIs.
Trea Turner leads the team with a .317 batting average, and Juan Soto is starting to heat up. The Nationals won’t need a ton of offense with Scherzer taking the ball.
Stars Need Help in San Diego
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado continue to put up monster numbers for the Padres, but they need some help. Tatis leads the team with 27 home runs, and Machado has driven in a team-high 59 runs.
San Diego will have Yu Darvish on the mound Thursday night, and he continues to be one of the best pitchers in baseball. Darvish has gone 7-3 with a 2.65 ERA this season, and he needs to give the Padres bullpen a rest in this game.
The Padres remain a bit too inconsistent to be a World Series contender, but they have the ability to completely blow a game wide open.
Darvish Delivers in Win
You won’t find a better pitching matchup on Thursday night than the one taking place in San Diego. Runs are going to be at a premium, and it might take one big blast to make the difference.
The Padres have been a much better offensive team this season, and they have two of the biggest stars in the game. Don’t expect much offense from Washington on Thursday night, as the Padres pitching staff will shut them down.
Darvish will outduel Scherzer on Thursday night as he will get his team back on track with an impressive win. Bet the San Diego Padres -144 as they win the series finale over the Washington Nationals.
Keep up with your latest MLB news coverage and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.
