Washington Nationals vs. Houston Astros Free Pick 10/22/19

The Washington Nationals are facing off against the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series. The series gets officially underway at 8:08 p.m. ET and this opening game will be nationally televised on Fox.

Washington Nationals at Houston Astros Odds

Washington (+175) is entering this game as the underdog to Houston (-185) and oddsmakers have put the Over/Under for this night game at 6.5 runs (-125 for the over and +105 for the under). This game currently has a runline of Nationals +1.5 (-125) and Astros -1.5 (+105).

Including the regular season, the Nationals have gone 101-71 SU this year and are 99-73 against the spread (ATS). They’ve accumulated 11.4 units for moneyline bettors and 23.2 units ATS. Washington has covered the spread six times in its last seven games and the over has hit in four of those seven. The Astros, on the other hand, are 114-59 SU and 95-78 ATS. The team has gained 7.2 units for moneyline bettors and 3.7 units ATS. Houston has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven.

Houston games have an over/under record of 77-90-6 in 2019. The Nationals have an over/under record of 80-82-10.

Max Scherzer is getting the nod for the Nationals. The right-handed Scherzer is 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA and 243 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Astros this year and did not record a start against them in 2018, either.

The Astros are putting the ball in the right hand of Gerrit Cole (20-5, 2.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP), who has 326 strikeouts and 48 walks. Cole did not re a start against the Nationals in 2018.

Fueled by a team slash line of .243/.319/.382, Washington has averaged 4.5 runs scored through 10 postseason games. Houston is hitting .208/.287/.358 over 11 games and the team has managed 3.7 runs during the 2019 playoffs.

The Astros bullpen has registered an ERA of 4.08 and a WHIP of 1.47 this postseason, while Nationals relievers have a 4.76 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.

Third baseman Anthony Rendon and shortstop Trea Turner have paced Washington’s hitters. Rendon is hitting .322/.415/.598 with 35 home runs, 133 RBIs and 125 runs scored, while Turner is hitting .297/.352/.492 with 20 homers, 60 RBIs, 102 runs and 35 stolen bases.

The Astros’ batters have been led by left fielder Michael Brantley and first baseman Yuli Gurriel. Brantley is hitting .308/.370/.491 with 23 home runs, 92 RBIs and 92 runs scored, and Gurriel is hitting .292 with 32 homers, 112 RBIs and 87 runs.

The Nationals have gained 7.0 units and are 73-55 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has hit in 63 of those games, compared to 60 that’ve gone under against right-handed starting pitchers. On the other hand, the Astros have lost 7.7 units and are 66-55 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over’s hit in 59 of those games, as opposed to 58 which went under the total.

Washington Nationals vs. Houston Astros Free MLB Pick

Predictions: SU Winner – Astros, ATS Winner – Nationals, O/U – OVER