Two of the hottest teams in all of baseball, Brewers vs Nationals, will be going at it in a one-game wild card clash that will end the season for the loser while the winner keeps its World Series hopes alive. Now, let’s find out if the incendiary Milwaukee Brewers or red-hot Washington Nationals are the MLB betting pick to get the season-saving victory when the two meet in the nation’s capitol in their NL wild card clash on Tuesday.
Brewers vs Nationals MLB Odds & National League Wild Card Prediction
- When: Tuesday, October 01 – 8:08 PM EST
- Where: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
- Starting Pitchers: Brandon Woodruff (11-3, 3.62 ERA) / Max Scherzer (11-7, 2.92)
- TV: TBS
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: Washington Nationals -180 (Total 7.5)
Weather Forecast
- Clear: 26°C/79°F
- Humidity: 66%
- Precipitation: 2%
- Cloud Cover: 10%
- Wind: 8 mph SSE
- Stadium Type: Open
Why Bet On Milwaukee
The Brewers look like a great pick to get the upset because they’ve been the best team in all of baseball in going 18-2 from September 6 until the start of their season-ending three-game set against Colorado this past weekend.
While the Brew Crew managed to catch fire without their best player in reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich (knee), they did close out the regular season with a discouraging three-game sweep at the hands of the mediocre Rockies. Still, this is a team that has overcome a ton of adversity this season and that should bode well for them on Tuesday night.
“We’re going into a hostile environment, playing against a hot team with one of the best pitchers in the league,” Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun told reporters. “Certainly, it will be a challenge, but we’ve had our backs against the wall all month. We’ve been counted out many times. We kind of like being in that position.”
Milwaukee will hand the ball to right-hander Brandon Woodruff who has made just two appearances sine missing two months because of an oblique injury. The good news is that the 26-year-old put together a stellar 1.46 ERA in four playoff games, including one start, a year ago.
“It’s that time of year where you just get out there and get after it,” Woodruff told reporters. “It’s going to be a team effort. Obviously, I probably won’t be able to go six, seven innings, but I’ll be ready to go as long as I can until they take me out.”
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.76
- Hits: 8.43
- Walks: 3.87
- Strike Outs: 9.63
- Runs: 4.73
- Hits: 8.43
- Walks: 3.51
- Strike Outs: 9.20
Why Bet On Washington
The Nationals look like a great bet ion this wild card contest because they’ve been on fire for the better part of the last two weeks. Washington won eight straight to finish off the regular season, not to mention the fact that the Nats bounced back quite nicely from a dismal 19-31 start to the regular season.
Not only that, but the Nats will be turning to one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers for their NL wild card clash with veteran right-hander Max Scherzer taking the bump.
Scherzer has recorded double-digit strikeouts in each of his last two outings despite getting touched up for four earned runs against Philly last Tuesday. The good news for Brewers fans and betting backers is the fact that the former Cy Young Award winner is an uninspiring 4-5 with a 3.73 ERA in 16 career postseason games (13 starts).
“Season’s on the line, I’ve pitched in these situations before, and it’s just crazy baseball,” Scherzer told reporters. “Intensity’s out of your mind. And you’ve got to go out there and be your best and just compete as hard as you can.”
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.37
- Hits: 8.98
- Walks: 3.61
- Strike Outs: 8.07
- Runs: 4.48
- Hits: 8.27
- Walks: 3.19
- Strike Outs: 9.34
Brewers vs Nationals MLB Betting Trends
- Nationals are 9-0 SU in their last 9 games at home
- Nationals are 4-1 in Scherzer’s last 5 home starts vs. a team with a winning record
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington’s last 9 games played on a Tuesday
- Brewers are 4-0 in Woodruff’s last 4 starts during game 1 of a series
- Brewers are 11-4 SU in their last 15 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee’s last 6 games against an opponent in the National League East division
Expert Analysis & Prediction for Brewers vs Nationals
While I’m certainly not expecting Milwaukee to just roll over in this contest, I am going to encourage baseball betting buffs everywhere to go with the red-hot Washington nationals to take care of business at home in this one. The Nats have gone a stellar 50-31 at home while Milwaukee is a far more modest 40-41 on the road.
While the Brewers took six of the 10 regular season meetings between these two, Washington’s 16-8 win in their last matchup on August 8 was seriously emphatic, not to mention the Nats took two of three from Milwaukee in that three-game series despite being on the road.
The Nationals are a pristine 8-0 in their last 8 home games against a team with a winning record and an unblemished 7-0 in their last seven games against a team with a winning record. With the Brewers going an uninspiring 3-8 in their last 11 playoff road games, I just don’t have a whole lot of confidence they can get it done without their superstar leader. I like Washington to get it done in a thriller and you should too!
Score: Milwaukee Brewers 3 – Washington Nationals 5
