At 6:45 PM from Nationals Park in Washington, we have an interleague matchup between the Astros and Nationals. Heading into Friday’s game, the Astros are 6-14, while the Nationals are just below .500 at 8-10. Justin Verlander will start for the Astros, and he is facing off against MacKenzie Gore.

Looking at the money line odds, the Astros are at -173 compared to the Nationals at +145. The over/under line is at 8.5 runs, and you can catch this one on MASN.

HOUSTON ASTROS VS WASHINGTON NATIONALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Houston Astros Moneyline -173

This game will be played at Nationals Park at 6:45 ET on Friday, April 19th.

HOW TO BET THE ASTROS VS NATIONALS:

  • We have the Astros winning by a score of 6 to 4
  • If you’re looking for a run line pick, we also like the Astros to cover
  • As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 10 runs and like the over

Astros Records & Stats

Houston closed out their series vs. the Braves with a 5-4 loss. Heading into the game, the Astros were the slight favorite at +115 on the money line. Things started off well for the Astros, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Braves scored in the top of the 2nd.

J.P. France got the start for the Astros and took the loss. He only lasted five innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits. The Astros’s offense scored their other two runs in the 5th, with Yordan Alvarez going deep and Mauricio Dubon scoring on a single.

Houston is currently on a three-game losing streak, as they are 6-14 this season. In the AL West, they are in 5th place and trail the Rangers by five games. So far, they have yet to win a series on the road, going 2-5 for the season.

When favored, Houston has a record of 4-11 this season compared to 2-3 as the underdog. Coming into today’s game, the Astros have an overall series record of 2-3-1.

The Astros have been a terrible bet on the run line this season, going just 7-13 overall. They are just 2-5 on the run line on the road and have failed to cover in their last three road games. They have been a better bet at home, going 5-8 on the run line. They have been favored in 15 of their 20 games, going just 4-11 on the run line in those games.

When the Astros play, the over/under line is typically set high, as 80.0% of their games have had higher lines than today’s 8.5. Houston’s games have averaged 9.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 8-11. Their last three games have gone under the total, and their games have gone over the total in 10 of 16 games when the line is set at 8.5 or higher.

On the mound for the Astros is right-hander Justin Verlander, who is coming off a season in which he made 27 starts and went 13-8. His ERA for the year was 3.22, and he finished the season with 15 quality starts. Last season, Verlander allowed a total of 18 home runs, and his WHIP for the year was 1.13. In terms of strikeouts, Verlander averaged 7.98 per nine innings and finished the season with a K/BB ratio of 3.2.

For the Astros, we have Yordan Alvarez with the 2nd highest home run projection in today’s slate of games. Jose Altuve has the 3rd highest total hits projection in the league today. Alex Bregman’s total hits projection is 8th best in the league.

Nationals Records & Stats

Heading into their last game vs. the Dodgers, the Nationals closed out the series with a 2-0 win. Leading up to the game, they were the heavy favorite at +194. Offensively, the Nationals only had four hits but scored two runs. Both of their runs came in the 1st inning.

Jake Irvin put together a good start for the Nationals, going six innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just one walk and struck out six Dodgers batters. Washington’s bullpen closed things out, and Kyle Finnegan picked up the save.

With a record of 8-10, the Nationals are 4th in the NL East, trailing the Mets by 2 games for the 3rd place in the division and trail the Braves by 4.5 games for the division lead. Washington heads into today’s game, having just picked up a series win over the Dodgers. This came after dropping two straight series.

At home, the Nationals are just 2-4 this season and have gone 6-6 on the road. As the underdog this season, Washington has a record of 7-9 compared to 1-1 as the favorite. They are also looking to get back on track in terms of series, as they are 2-4 so far.

Washington has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 11-7 overall. They have been even better on the road, going 9-3 ATS, while they are just 2-4 ATS at home. They have been a better bet as an underdog, going 10-6 ATS, compared to just 1-1 ATS as a favorite. Their average run differential in winning games is +2.4, while it drops to -3.3 in losses.

The Washington Nationals have had a combined run average of 8.1 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 8-10. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, they have gone 3-5 on the over/under. Their last two games have gone under the total, and their games have had an average over/under line of 9 runs.

MacKenzie Gore has been solid in his first three starts of the season, and he’ll be looking to keep things rolling against the Astros. He has 11 strikeouts in 5 innings in his first start and has picked up wins in each of his first two outings.

Our player projections have Lane Thomas as the top power threat for the Nationals in this game, as his home run projection is 9th best in the league today. Joey Gallo is also a strong candidate to go deep, as his home run projection is 10th best in the league. If you’re looking for a Nationals player to have a good day at the plate, CJ Abrams has the best overall hits projection on the team and his total is 17th best in the league today. Joey Meneses is also a player to watch, as his hits projection is 21st best in the league.