Brewers vs Nationals 2019 NL Wild Card Odds & Game Preview

The Milwaukee Brewers (89-73) head east to face the Washington Nationals (93-69) in the National League Wild Card game on Tuesday night. The winner then heads west to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers (106-56) in a best-of-five National League Division Series that would start on Thursday. The Brewers went 20-7 down the stretch to qualify for the second wild card and actually were in the race for the National League Central title until the last day of the season. Milwaukee beat Washington 4-2 in the season series, winning all three games at Miller Park but losing two of three in the nation’s capital. Can Milwaukee pull off the upset with Christian Yelich remaining out? Or will Washington take care of business and move on to the NLDS? We have your MLB betting preview here.

Brewers vs Nationals 2019 NL Wild Card Odds & Game Preview

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— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2019

• When: October 1, 2019, 8:08pm ET
• Where: Nationals Park, Washington, DC
• TV: TBS
• Radio: ESPN Radio
• Live Stream: ESPN+
• MLB Odds: Washington -185 / Milwaukee +155 / O/U 7.5
• Projected Pitching Matchup: Brandon Woodruff (11-3, 3.62 ERA) (MIL) vs Max Scherzer (11-7, 2.92 ERA) (WAS)

Why should you bet on Milwaukee?

Here is an interesting fact about betting on the Brewers: they were the underdog in 67 games this season, and they won 44 of them. Meanwhile, Washington was the favorite 111 times and own just 55 of those contests. Milwaukee is going to put Brandon Woodruff on the mound. Woodruff is not a dominant pitcher in terms of strikeouts (he had just 143 on the season). Instead, he lets his defense do a lot of the work for him. Durability will be a question for Woodruff, though. He suffered a left oblique strain back in July and ended up missing six weeks. His last two outings have been for two innings each, although he has struck out seven over those four innings of combined work, walking just one and holding the opposition hitless. He has not made it out of the sixth inning since June 29, when he threw 7 ⅔ innings of six-hit, one-run ball in Pittsburgh. The Brewers are banking on him going deeper into this game.

Why should you put your money on Washington?

Washington won 50 of 81 home games this season, while Milwaukee won just 40 of their 81 road contests. The Nationals plan to start Max Scherzer in this game, and the three-time Cy Young winner certainly has the stuff to throw a dominant game. However, down the stretch, Scherzer has been getting tagged. In his last three starts, against the Braves, Cardinals and Phillies, he went 17 ⅔ combined innings, permitting 12 earned runs on 19 hits, striking out 27 while walking just three. Control is not an issue for Scherzer; the problem is that he is leaving way too many pitches out over the fat part of the plate. Since September 8, his ERA has climbed from 2.56 to 2.92. The Nationals’ bats were able to deliver a win in their game against the Phillies, but the Nationals lost his starts against Atlanta and St. Louis by a combined 10-1. The Nationals have the bats to do some damage, but given the issues in their bullpen, can they outscore the Brewers?

Final Score Prediction

The Brewers were one of the hottest teams down the stretch in 2019, and that momentum often pays off in the one-game wild card showdown. However, Washington finished the regular season strong as well, blowing by Philadelphia in the race for second in the NL East. While Scherzer’s recent performance is troubling, Woodruff’s durability questions are even more so. Given that this game is in Washington, giving the Nationals the last at-bat, I predict a final score of Washington 6, Milwaukee 5. With these two pitchers on the mound, along with bullpens that are suspect, the “over” is the smart pick in this game too.