On Saturday, the Texas Rangers and the Washington Nationals will mix it up. This is the second of a three game series between these two interleague teams. The Texas Rangers start Thursday with a 27-32 record, which is fourth place in the American League East division. The Rangers are 14.5 games behind the Astros.
The Washington Nationals have the best record in the National League. The Nationals have a whopping 11.5 game lead over the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets heading into Friday’s series opener. The Washington Nationals are favorites in this game. The Nationals are listed at -144. Find the latest MLB betting odds here.
Here’s A Closer Look At The 2017 MLB Rangers Vs Nationals Expert Picks
When: Saturday June 10, 2017; 11:05am CT
Where: Nationals Park; Washington, D.C.
TV: FSSW, MASN 2
Radio: 105.3 The Fan, KFLC 1270, 106.7 The Fan
Stream Option: MLB.TV
Odds: Washington Nationals -144
Why Bet on Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers are off to one of the most disappointing starts in Major League Baseball. After making the postseason a season ago, things do not look likely to return. Texas is in fourth place in the division due to their road record. The Rangers have won just 9 out of 27 games at home. Overall, the Rangers have lost five out of six.
Texas is not doing anything exceptionally well. The offense is 24th in the league, and the pitching is in the bottom half as well. The Rangers have a .243 batting average, with Elvis Andrus the only regular above .500. Joey Gallo leads the team with 17 homeruns, but is just batting .200 on the season.
Why Bet on Washington Nationals
Dusty Baker’s Washington Nationals offense have been outstanding all season long. The Nationals have scored the most runs in the National League with 321. Washington has been especially good when playing at home. The Nationals are 16-9 at home. Washington had their three game winning streak snapped Wednesday by the Dodgers.
Washington has a ton of threats in the lineup. The Nationals offense is second in all of Major League Baseball with a .273 batting average. Ryan Zimmerman is having an outstanding season with .362 batting average, 17 bombs and 49 runs batted in. The Nationals are also excelling on the pitching mound; as they lead the league in quality starts.
Expert Score & Prediction
The pitching matchup for this game features Tanner Roark for the Washington Nationals, and Andrew Cashner for the Texas Rangers. Roark is 6-2 on the season, with an ERA around 4.00. On the other side, veteran Cashner is 2-5 on the season.
The Nationals offense is scary. They look to hit Andrew Cashner early and often in this game. This is an offensive team that can score runs, and score a ton of runs. Look for the Washington Nationals to come away with the win in this game. The final bet is the Washington Nationals -170 over the Texas Rangers.
