While all the talk after the trade deadline is about the players who moved, we also need to pay attention to the players who were rumored to move who are still with the same team. There are a couple of reasons why the trigger wasn’t pulled at the deadline. The most obvious is that the right offer didn’t come along for the player in question, but there is also the possibility that some teams feel that they are close and that selling off one of their better players might not be a good idea when looking ahead to next season.
One player who was rumored to leave but who is still part of the same line-up is Robbie Ray of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He will get the start when the D-Backs welcome in the Washington Nationals for a weekend series. Arizona is by no means out of the Wild Card race in the NL, so perhaps that went into their decision to keep Ray. The Nationals are another team in the playoff hunt, so this is a big series. The Diamondbacks are favored by 1 ½ in the Friday opener, with the run total set at 9 ½.
Nationals vs Diamondbacks MLB Betting Lines & Pick
- When: Friday, August 2 at 9:40 PM EST
- Where: Chase Field, Phoenix
- Starting Pitchers: Ross vs. Ray
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: ESPN 1320
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Betting Lines: Arizona Diamondbacks -135 (Total 9.5)
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Why bet on the Washington Nationals?
The Washington Nationals are going to need to find a way to pick themselves up after dropping 2 of 3 to the Atlanta Braves to open the week. That series loss was a serious dent to their hopes of winning the NL East, as they are now 7 games back of a Braves team that looks top be hitting another winning streak after reeling off their 3rd straight. With those back to back losses, the Nationals are now just 5-5 in their last 10 games.The good news is that they are in possession of one of the two WC spots in the NL, but with the race there so tight, they need to get back to winning on a more regular basis. The Nats are 26-26 SU on the road and split their home series with the D-Backs earlier this season. It will be Joe Ross (0-3, 9.85 ERA) who gets the start here.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.01
- Hits: 8.71
- Walks: 3.48
- Strike Outs: 8.30
Defense
- Runs: 4.56
- Hits: 8.40
- Walks: 3.14
- Strike Outs: 9.49
Why bet on the Arizona Diamondbacks?
The Arizona Diamondbacks are still in the playoff hunt, sitting 3 ½ games out of the final Wild Card spot, but they are not exactly inspiring a lot of confidence right now, going just 4-6 in their last 10 games. One of their biggest issues this year is that they have just not been very good at home, going 3 games below .500 at 23-26 SU.
The Diamondbacks are 25-24 ATS at home this season, but they are not a particularly good bet when in as a home favorite, going 10-16 ATS in those games. They are coming off a road trip where they covered the spread just twice in 6 games. As mentioned earlier, it will be Robbie Ray (9-7, 3.91 ERA) who gets the start here.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.12
- Hits: 9.05
- Walks: 3.20
- Strike Outs: 8.37
Defense
- Runs: 4.54
- Hits: 8.45
- Walks: 3.11
- Strike Outs: 8.80
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Nationals vs Diamondbacks MLB Betting Trends
- Nationals are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games against Arizona
- The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Washington’s last 10 games on the road
- Diamondbacks are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games against an opponent in the National League
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Arizona’s last 7 games played in August
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The pitching match-up in this one certainly falls in the favor of Arizona. I see the Diamondbacks trying to jump on Ross early, potentially doing enough to get themselves in front, where I believe they will stay.Score: Washington Nationals 2 – Arizona Diamondbacks 5
