It’s starting to look like the Washington Nationals aren’t going to win the NL East again this season. And the Milwaukee Brewers are falling further and further back of the Cubs in the NL Central. So it could be wild card or bust for both the Nats and Brew Crew this year. Nationals at Brewers 2.0 is scheduled for Tuesday in Beer Town with the game essentially a pick’em at MyBookie Sportsbook. Let’s check which team is offering the best MLB betting value while making some predictions.
The Brewers are 29-13 (.690) over their last 42 home games, the best home record in the National League and trailing only the Yankees (30-11, .732) in the majors during this stretch (since 4/17). Christian Yelich (.300, 12hr, 13sb) is one of just five players in the majors with a .300+ BA, 12+ HR, and 12+ SB this season. He is the only National League player with such numbers.
It’s Junior Guerra (6-6, 3.23) on the mound. He’s expected to come off the disabled list after the minimum 10 days for what the Brewers said was a forearm strain. Because the stint coincided with the All-Star break, he essentially didn’t miss a start.
Guerra started for the Brewers last on July 13 and he appeared to have very little command of his pitches as he allowed a season-high six runs over four innings. Counsell said that Guerra dealt with a right forearm issue before his previous start, but it seemed to resolve itself as the week progressed before affecting the right-hander once again.
Nationals at Brewers Game Info, MLB Lines & Pick
If it’s any Solís, @ChristianYelich IS an All-Star. #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/67ZWtoeNAU
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) 24 de julio de 2018
- When: Tuesday, 8:10 PM ET
- Where: Miller Park, Milwaukee
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Jeremy Hellickson/Junior Guerra
- TV: MLB Network
- Stream: MLB.tv
- Radio: TuneIn
- MLB Lines: Milwaukee Brewers -115 / Washington Nationals -105 (Total 9)
Astros vs Rockies MLB Odds & Expert Betting Prediction
Why Bet on Washington?
The Nationals got some bad news over the weekend on All-Star closer Sean Doolittle. The lefty suffered a setback in his comeback from a left toe injury that could keep him out a few more weeks. Doolittle, who threw off a mound Friday for the first time since July 7, told reporters that an MRI on Saturday revealed a stress reaction in his foot. He said the injury will keep him from pitching for weeks, but not months. Doolittle missed the All-Star Game but had been expected to return to the Nationals shortly after the break. Doolittle, 31, has 22 saves and a 1.45 ERA in 35 appearances this season. Kelvin Herrera pitched a scoreless 1 2/3 innings to pick up his first save as a National on Sunday against the Braves. Herrera came in with one out in the eighth, and while he did allow two hits, he kept the Braves from scoring and picked up a strikeout in the process. The former Kansas City closer is expected to act in the same capacity while Doolittle remains out. Washington’s bullpen has pitched to a 1.44 ERA (4 ER/25.0 IP) with a .204 opp. batting average (19-for-93) dating to July 9. Over this stretch, they have inherited five runners without allowing any to score. On the season, Nationals relievers rank in the NL in opp. OBP (2nd, .300), WHIP (1st, 1.18), walks/9.0 IP (2nd, 2.96), SO/BB ratio (2nd, 2.94), opp. AVG (4th, .229), H/9.0 IP (4th, 7.64), and opp. OPS (6th, .699). Nationals relievers have allowed just 22.8% of inherited runners to score, the second-best mark in the National League and the fourth-best mark in Major League Baseball. It’s Jeremy Hellickson (4-1, 3.29) on the mound. Hellickson’s two most recent starts since being activated from the DL were encouraging. He yielded just one run in 11 innings, with nine strikeouts and three walks. Last time out, Hellickson got the ball in the first half finale at the Mets. He gave up a run in the bottom of the second, an inning after the Nationals had taken a 1-0 lead, but he held the Mets there through five on an efficient 61 pitches. Manager Dave Martinez let Hellickson hit for himself in the top of the sixth and sent him back out for the bottom of the inning, and for just the second time this season, the veteran right-hander got through the sixth, on 73 pitches. “He’s been really good, honestly,” Martinez said when asked to sum up Hellickson’s first half in D.C. “Keeps us in the ballgame and on this club when you do that we’ve got a good chance to win. The offense is starting to come alive, so I’ve always said, we get good starting pitching we’re going to win some ballgames and he did that.”Why Bet on Milwaukee?
First baseman Eric Thames was to test out his hamstring on Monday in anticipation that he’ll be activated from the disabled list. Thames was eligible to return from the disabled list on Monday, but the Brewers won’t make a determination until he takes some live swings on the field and does some running. However, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said after Sunday’s game that he expects Brent starting pitcher Suter to land on the 10-day disabled list after suffering a left forearm strain during his start against the Dodgers.
The Brewers are 29-13 (.690) over their last 42 home games, the best home record in the National League and trailing only the Yankees (30-11, .732) in the majors during this stretch (since 4/17). Christian Yelich (.300, 12hr, 13sb) is one of just five players in the majors with a .300+ BA, 12+ HR, and 12+ SB this season. He is the only National League player with such numbers.
It’s Junior Guerra (6-6, 3.23) on the mound. He’s expected to come off the disabled list after the minimum 10 days for what the Brewers said was a forearm strain. Because the stint coincided with the All-Star break, he essentially didn’t miss a start.
Guerra started for the Brewers last on July 13 and he appeared to have very little command of his pitches as he allowed a season-high six runs over four innings. Counsell said that Guerra dealt with a right forearm issue before his previous start, but it seemed to resolve itself as the week progressed before affecting the right-hander once again.
Latest MLB Betting Trends
- Nationals are 1-6 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record
- Nationals are 4-0 in Hellickson’s last 4 starts during game 2 of a series
- Brewers are 5-2 in Guerra’s last 7 home starts
- Washington is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
- Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington’s last 10 games on the road
- Milwaukee is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
- Milwaukee is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee’s last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
