Arizona Diamondbacks at Washington Nationals Series Odds and Preview
Nationals Are On Fire Lately

The top of the National League is really good, the bottom of the National League is really bad and the middle is just about as average as it gets. There are nine teams separated by a total of three games vying for the second and third NL Wild Card spots, two of which being the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals who meet this week for a three-game series in D.C. The D’Backs vs Nationals series odds have Washington as -116 moneyline favorites in Tuesday’s opener and at +160 to win by two or more runs on the runline. The total is 9 runs.
Washington has been one of the hottest teams in baseball, having won eight of nine after a weekend sweep of the lowly Miami Marlins. The Nationals gave up just two runs in that series and are getting awesome starting pitching from pretty much everyone other than Patrick Corbin who is set to pitch on Wednesday. Jake Irvin (Tuesday’s starter) and MacKenzie Gore (Thursday’s starter) have helped Washington get great MLB results to keep them firmly in the Wild Card picture.
An offensive resurgence has been the key for Arizona which is still working through a post-pennant-win hangover. The Diamondbacks have won five of their last seven games, scoring seven or more runs in each of those wins. However, they might be without star outfielder Corbin Carroll — who hasn’t been able to get on track this season but is still a core piece for Arizona — who left Sunday’s victory with “left side” pain and is awaiting MRI results.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Washington Nationals 
Day/Time:
Location: Nationals Park; Washington, D.C.
Nationals’ Rotation Looks Great
The key for the D’Backs vs Nationals series odds from Washington’s perspective is the rotation. Nationals starters have the 12th-best ERA in the Majors with a top-ten walk rate. They have also allowed the second-fewest home runs per nine innings. Their starters have needed to be good because the lineup is underwhelming and the bullpen, outside of stud closer Kyle Finnegan, can be inconsistent.
Irvin and Gore — as well as rookies Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz, who won’t go in this series — have been awesome and are big reasons why the MLB standings today have Washington hovering around .500 despite relatively low preseason expectations. The Nationals don’t exactly have an explosive offense so they rely on getting competitive starts and, most nights, particularly as of late, that’s exactly what Dave Martinez’ squad has gotten from its rotation.
The question for tonight, and this series, is which side will win out: Washington’s starters or Arizona’s top-ten offense that has been posting huge run totals lately.
Arizona’s Offense Is Heating Up
Even though the D’Backs vs Nationals series odds have the Nationals as slight favorites for Tuesday, Arizona’s bats — sixth in runs in the Majors, eighth in average, seventh in on-base percentage and 10th in OPS — can certainly give the Diamondbacks a good chance in our nation’s capital, especially with how hot they’ve been. Christian Walker has been especially productive, with three home runs in his past five games.
Look for Ketel Marte to keep raking, particularly against Corbin and Gore because he has absolutely destroyed lefties all season. Marte has a 143 OPS+ overall and, against lefties, he has an incredible 1.167 OPS with 11 home runs in just 99 at-bats. Joc Pederson — a late offseason pickup — has been great too and has driven in 10 runs in his last four games, helping Arizona crush the Angels and White Sox. Things won’t be as easy against the Nationals, though.
Arizona is a bit top-heavy in the lineup with Walker, Marte, Pederson and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to drive runs in. The ineffectiveness (and now injury) of Carroll has really limited the offensive potential of the defending NL pennant winners but, when those core guys are hitting and the rest of the order is at least getting on base, this is a difficult team to keep down. The issue is that the pitching staff’s inconsistency makes it so that Arizona needs to score a lot to keep up.
Consider Diamondbacks To Win Straight-Up
The MLB schedule in 2024 was very favorable to Arizona in recent weeks but it gets tougher now, starting with the Nationals and then the Phillies and Twins.
Vegas likes Washington over Arizona in Tuesday’s game with Jake Irvin facing off with the scuffling Slade Cecconi. While Cecconi’s 6.70 ERA and recent struggles should give you pause, the Diamondbacks at +106 straight-up or even -190 at +1.5 runs (maybe thrown into a parlay) are good bets. Arizona’s offense is clicking right now and these are very evenly matched teams so getting the Diamondbacks as an underdog is good value.
The over nine runs (-110) is a smart pick as well because the Diamondbacks tend to play high-scoring games.
For MLB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.