Diamondbacks vs. Nationals Prediction and Odds for Wednesday, April 20 (Arizona's Putrid Offense Gives Under Value)
By Joe Summers
The 3-8 Arizona Diamondbacks bring a three-game losing streak into Washington tonight as they take on the 6-7 Nationals at 7:05 PM EST in the third contest of a four-game series.
Washington won the first two meetings by a combined score of 7-1. The Diamondbacks have mustered just one run total over their last three matchups.
Arizona will send Merrill Kelly to the mound to stop the bleeding and he's been superb in his first two starts. He hasn't allowed a single run across 9.1 innings while racking up 13 strikeouts.
Erick Fedde gets the call for Washington and he's been "Steady Fedde" so far, giving up a pair of runs in five innings in each of his first two outings.
Can the Diamondbacks' offense snap out of their slump or will the Nationals earn a 3-0 series lead?
Let's check out the odds from WynnBET as we find a winner in this Diamondbacks vs Nationals matchup:
Diamondbacks vs Nationals Odds, Run Line and Total
Run Line:
- Diamondbacks +1.5 (-195)
- Nationals -1.5 (+160)
Moneyline:
- Diamondbacks: +112
- Nationals: -122
Total:
- 8.5 (Over 100/Under -120)
Diamondbacks vs Nationals Prediction and Pick
You know the foul stench emanating from rotten milk left in the fridge two weeks too long? That putrid smell pales in comparison to the malodorous garbage can of an offense Arizona has trotted out this season.
They've scored more than three runs twice in 11 games! After being shutout for the second time in their last three contests, the Diamondbacks are now averaging a league-worst two runs per matchup.
It's not going to get easier for them today, either. Erick Fedde has done an excellent job limiting hard contact in his first two starts and seems to be improved from what we've seen the last couple of seasons. He doesn't generate a lot of swings and misses, but the Diamondbacks average the second-most strikeouts per game so they'll struggle to put the barrel on the ball.
On the other end, Merrill Kelly has been superb through two starts. It's obviously early, but he's been among the league's best pitchers so far:
With how bad Arizona's offense has been and how good Kelly has been, I love the under today. It's 2-9 in the Diamondbacks' first 11 contests and 1-5 in the Nationals' home games. Those trends continue today. Don't take the trash out quite yet.
Pick: Under 8.5 (-120)
Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.