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Dodgers vs. Nationals Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, May 24 (Pitching Mismatches Don't Get Much Bigger than This)

By Matt De Saro

Arizona Diamondbacks v Los Angeles Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks v Los Angeles Dodgers / Ronald Martinez/GettyImages
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If there existed a scale to rate pitching mismatches, this one would be right around the top. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals are teams that are a million miles apart in terms of wins and losses. Additionally, the Nationals' pitching has been atrocious while the Dodgers are shutting down teams left and right. 

Today’s game between the two will be no different with Walker Buehler facing off against Josiah Gray. The latter has been on the top of my auto-fade list for weeks and continues to get torched by opposing lineups.

Here are the odds for this game, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook. 

Dodgers vs. Nationals Odds, Run Line, and Total

Run Line

  • Dodgers: -1.5 (-140)
  • Nationals: +1.5 (+120)

Moneyline:

  • Dodgers: -250
  • Nationals: +200

Total:

  • Total 9 (Over -105/Under -115)

Dodgers vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

No need to complicate things much here. The Nationals have been one of the worst teams in the league in recent weeks while the Dodgers have the best record in the National League. In the lead-up to this series, the Nats went 3-7 in their last 10 games while the Dodgers were 7-3 in that span. They Swept the Diamondbacks and took two of three from the Phillies. 

Frankly, the pitching matters less than usual in this game to me because the Nationals are so outmatched top to bottom here. But, to make matters worse for Washington, Walker Buehler will start for LA today. Buehler is 5-1 with a 2.89 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in eight starts this year spanning 46 ⅔ innings. He hasn’t been lights out exactly but is doing enough to consistently put the Dodgers in a spot to win. Gray is basically the opposite despite a 4-3 record. He enters with a 4.36 ERA and 1.27 WHUP in 43 ⅓ innings. Oddly, the Nats give Gray amazing run support and have gone 4-3 as a team in games he pitched. But don’t let that fool you into trusting this guy in such a big spot. I don’t think Gray is long for this game and the Dodgers will cruise to a win in Game 2 of this series. 

Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (-140)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE