Los Angeles Dodgers vs Washington Nationals

Los Angeles plays its third straight road game on the East Coast. The Dodgers are favored but have lost four of five starts made by Yoshinobu Yamamoto (4.50 ERA) and the bullpen ranks 19th in ERA (4.07). The Dodgers are 37-53 on the road after batting .333 or better over a three-game stretch. Washington is on a 5-5 run, including cashing as underdogs of +300, +205, +155, and +155. They play their sixth consecutive home contest and the team is 50-57 as an underdog of +150 or higher. MacKenzie Gore (3.60 ERA) is on the mound with a terrific 27-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 20 innings. Washington is 19-14 after playing five or more straight home games, plus 17-13 after a game where the pen allowed five or more earned runs. Take Washington as a Max Play. 

The Dodgers have won two in row by a combined score of 14-1, taking the series opener vs Washington 4-1. Landon Knack has just one big league decision, and oddly enough it was vs. Washington. He deserved a better fate, as he lost 2-0.The shutout loss by the Dodgers was their first since July 30 of last year. The Nationals go with Jake Irvin today who has won just once in his last six decisions. I'm sticking with the hot bats. Make the play on Los Angeles.

The LA Dodgers, with their gigantic payroll, have not lived up to early expectations with a 13-11 record on the season. I think it is a matter of time before this team takes off, and they come into Washington in an ornery mood. The Dodgers dropped two out of three at home to Washington last week, and I think they have an agenda here. The Dodgers will hand the ball to James Paxton to open the series. Paxton has won two of his three decisions to start the season. Washington will go with Patrick Corbin, but since winng 22 of his decisions in 2019, Corbin has been brutal as he has posted a 37-70 record. His five starts over the same period vs. the Dodgers saw LA score six or more runs in all of them. Make the play on the LA Dodgers.

Washington is 3,000 miles from home playing its ninth straight road game. They're looking road-weary, dropping four of six. Jake Irvin (4.24 ERA) is on the mound, with the team losing all three of his starts, and the bullpen is 25th in WHIP. Washington is 186-259 after playing six or more straight road games. Los Angeles is in Dodger Stadium for the sixth consecutive contest. The bullpen is eighth in WHIP while the talented offense is second in runs scored, third in on-base percentage, and fourth in slugging. The Dodgers are 286-90 as home chalk of -200 or more, plus 45-16 against an NL starting pitcher with a WHIP of 1.150 or better. Play Los Angeles.