Athletics vs. Nationals Prediction, Computer Picks, Odds & Pitching Matchup 8/31/2022

The Washington Nationals (43-86) are -101 underdogs for their matchup with the Oakland Athletics (49-81) on Wednesday at 7:05 PM ET. Nelson Cruz has 97 hits on the season and will hope to hit his milestone 100th once the game begins at Nationals Park. Oakland’s James Kaprielian and Washington’s Anibal Sanchez have been named the starters for this contest.

Athletics vs. Nationals Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Athletics vs. Nationals

After looking at all of the key stats and trends for this matchup, our best bet is the Nationals on the moneyline at -101. Our computer picks see the scoring going over the total of 8.5 runs.

Our computer pick: Washington Nationals (-101) and Over (8.5)

Athletics vs. Nationals Game Info

• Oakland Athletics probable starting pitcher: James Kaprielian
• Washington Nationals probable starting pitcher: Aníbal Sánchez
• Game Day: Wednesday, August 31, 2022
• Game Time: 7:05 PM ET
• Location: Washington D.C.
• Stadium: Nationals Park

Oakland Athletics vs Washington Nationals Pitching Matchup

Athletics Starter James Kaprielian

• Kaprielian (3-8) gets the starting nod for the Athletics in his 22nd start of the season. He’s put together a 4.88 ERA in 103 1/3 innings pitched, with 73 strikeouts.
• In his most recent time out on Friday, the right-hander tossed 2 2/3 innings against the New York Yankees, allowing eight earned runs while surrendering seven hits.
• In 21 games this season, the 28-year-old has amassed a 4.88 ERA and 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings, while giving up a batting average of .244 to his opponents.
• Kaprielian is looking to pick up his fourth quality start of the year.
• Kaprielian has put together 17 starts this campaign in which he pitched five or more innings.
• He will face off against a Nationals offense that ranks 14th in MLB with 1064 total hits (on a .247 batting average). The squad also slugs a collective .374 (26th in MLB) with 109 total home runs (26th in MLB).

Nationals Starter Aníbal Sánchez

• The Nationals will hand the ball to Sanchez (0-5) for his ninth start of the season.
• The right-hander’s last start was on Wednesday, when he tossed 4 1/3 innings without allowing a run on two hits in a matchup with the Seattle Mariners.
• The 38-year-old has pitched in eight games this season with an ERA of 5.72 and 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings, with an opponent batting average of .250.
• Sanchez has not earned a quality start in eight starts this season.
• Sánchez has made six starts of five or more innings in eight chances this season, and averages 4.3 frames when he pitches.
• The Athletics rank 29th in MLB with 443 runs scored this season. They have a .216 batting average this campaign with 109 home runs (26th in the league).

Athletics Betting Picks & Insights

• This season, the Athletics have won six out of the 17 games, or 35.3%, in which they’ve been favored.
• Oakland has a record of 5-7, a 41.7% win rate, when favored by -118 or more by oddsmakers this season.
• The Athletics have a 54.1% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
• Games involving Oakland have gone over the total set by oddsmakers in 55 of 130 chances this season.
• The Athletics are 64-66-0 ATS in their 130 games with a spread this season.

Nationals Betting Picks & Insights

• The Nationals have been victorious in 36, or 32.4%, of the 111 contests they have been chosen as underdogs in this season.
• Washington has a win-loss record of 34-70 when favored by -101 or worse by bookmakers this year.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Nationals have a 50.2% chance of walking away with the win.
• Contests with Washington have gone over the total set by sportsbooks in 62 of 129 chances this season.
• The Nationals are 56-73-0 against the spread in their 129 games that had a posted line this season.

Athletics Leaders & Batting Stats

• Sean Murphy is the bat to watch in the Athletics lineup, leading the team in batting average (.258), home runs (17), and RBI (58).
• Among all hitters in baseball, Murphy ranks 56th in home runs and 64th in RBI.
• Murphy has collected a hit in two games in a row. During his last five outings he is batting .316 with a home run, three walks and five RBI.
• Seth Brown’s 17 home runs lead his team.
• Brown is 56th in home runs and 94th in RBI on the season.
• Tony Kemp is batting .226 with 21 doubles, four home runs and 38 walks.
• Kemp will look to build on his three-game hitting in this game. In his last five games he is batting .333 with two doubles, two walks and three RBI.
• Chad Pinder is hitting .236 with 16 doubles, 10 home runs and 12 walks.

Nationals Leaders & Batting Stats

• Cruz has racked up a team-leading 63 runs batted in.
• In all of the big leagues, Cruz ranks 153rd in homers and 48th in RBI.
• Cesar Hernandez is hitting .245 with 26 doubles, three triples and 36 walks.
• Hernandez is 412th overall in home runs and 249th in RBI this year.
• Keibert Ruiz paces the Nationals’ lineup with a .247 batting average.
• Lane Thomas is batting .242 with 19 doubles, a triple, 14 home runs and 24 walks.