It feels strange to have an interleague series on the final weekend of Major League Baseball’s regular season, but this Indians–Nationals matchup also could be a World Series preview. Washington is in the playoffs as an NL Wild-Card team, while the Indians are battling for an AL Wild-Card spot. The Nats are favored on the MLB odds here.

How to Bet Indians vs Nationals MLB Odds & Game Info

• When: Friday, 7:05 PM ET
• Where: Nationals Park
• Probable pitchers (away/home): Zach Plesac/Austin Voth
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• Radio: SiriusXM
• Opening MLB Lines: Washington Nationals -130 (Total 9.5)

Why Bet on Cleveland?

Whether the Tribe make the playoffs could go down to the final day of the season, or there could even be a tiebreaker game next Monday. It’s that close with Oakland and Tampa Bay. Cleveland got great news Tuesday when former All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez returned after missing a month due to surgery for a fractured hamate bone in his right hand. All Ramirez did in his first game back vs. the White Sox was hit two homers — including a grand slam — with seven RBIs.

Over his last 55 games, Ramírez is hitting .330 with 21 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs, 55 RBI, 41 runs with a .714 slugging percentage and a 1.090 OPS. With his next stolen base, Ramírez will become just the 10th player in franchise history with multiple seasons of 30+ doubles and 25+ stolen bases and the first since Grady Sizemore in 2007-08.

Rookie at the Mount

It’s rookie Zach Plesac on the mound. Plesac (8-6) allowed four earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three against the Phillies on Saturday. He did not factor into the decision. Plesac’s outing went fairly well until the fifth inning, when he allowed two of the first three batters he faced to reach base and was pulled. However, Oliver Perez proceeded to allow a three-run homer, with two of those runs charged to Plesac. While his ERA on the season still checks in at a respectable 3.82, Plesac has now surrendered four or more earned runs in four of his last six starts.

Plesac is making his first career start against the Nationals and his 3rd career Interleague start. He holds a 0-1 record with a 7.45 ERA (8ER/9.2IP) all-time against NL opponents. The 28-year-old is 3-4 with a 3.51 ERA (20ER/51.1IP) in 9 road starts in 2019.

The Indians hold a 3.67 ERA on the road this season, tied with Houston for the best mark in the Majors. Cleveland pitchers also rank 3rd in MLB in road strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.34), road WHIP (1.20) and 4th in road opponent batting average (.237).

Team Stats

• Runs: 4.80
• Hits: 8.42
• Walks: 3.51
• Strike Outs: 8.19

• Runs: 3.94
• Hits: 7.99
• Walks: 2.74
• Strike Outs: 9.34

Why Bet on Washington?

The Nationals are a Wild-Card team but don’t know yet whether who they will play in that game (either Milwaukee or St. Louis) or where. The Nationals became the ninth team in MLB history to come back from 12 games under .500 (19-31) to make the postseason.

Washington could get back catcher Kurt Suzuki this weekend. He has been out since Sept. 21 with an elbow issue was able to throw to the bases before Wednesday’s game. Manager Dave Martinez said the plan is for Suzuki to catch Friday. He’s hitting .263 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs on the year.

Third baseman and NL MVP candidate Anthony Rendon is seven RBIs shy of matching Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero’s franchise record for RBI in a season (131 in 1999). With 115 runs scored, Rendon is four runs scored shy of matching Alfonso Soriano’s record (2005-pres.) for runs in a season (119 in 2006).

Another Rookie on the Mount

Scheduled to be rookie Austin Voth (1-1) for Washington. Voth allowed one run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts across five innings during a no-decision against the Marlins on Sunday. He allowed a triple to Magneuris Sierra to open up the bottom half of the first inning and later allowed him to score, but he settled down and blank the Marlins through the remainder of his start.

Voth, 27, had a cut on his middle finger that limited his off-speed selection. “It was bugging me for most of the game,” he said. He would’ve been in line for the win had Hunter Strickland and Wander Suero been able to hold Marlins off from making a comeback in the seventh inning. Voth has given up more than three runs in just one of his eight starts and now owns a 3.35 ERA with a 42:16 K:BB across 42.2 innings this season.

In four appearances (3 starts) since returning from the injured list, Voth has pitched to a 2.12 ERA (4 ER/17.0 IP) with 19 strikeouts and a .207 opponents’ average. Remains to be seen if Voth makes the team’s postseason roster.

Team Stats

• Runs: 5.32
• Hits: 8.96
• Walks: 3.58
• Strike Outs: 8.05

• Runs: 4.49
• Hits: 8.30
• Walks: 3.20
• Strike Outs: 9.29

Indians vs Nationals MLB Betting Trends

• Nationals are 6-0 SU in their last 6 games at home
• Nationals are 9-4 in their last 13 interleague games vs. a right-handed starter
• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington’s last 9 games against an opponent in the American League
• Indians are 7-3 in Plesac’s last 10 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
• Indians are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against an opponent in the National League
• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland’s last 9 games on the road

Expert Final Score Prediction for Indians vs Nationals

Cleveland Indians 6 – Washington Nationals 5

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