Nationals vs. Orioles betting preview focuses on pitching as both teams send strong starters to the mound
When it is going rough, it can be extremely frustrating. When you're winning bets, you feel like you're on top of the world. But when you're losing, like I am at the moment, it can be maddening. You feel like you're making the right read every day, but the results are not what you're looking for. When you do it publicly like I am, it can be even worse. I took another loss yesterday, thanks to the Angels and Athletics scoring 12 runs in the game. They had five runs in eight innings of the game, and seven in another. Is that bad luck, or is it a bad bet? You can make that decision, but I'll keep trying to get back on track.
The Washington Nationals have been surprisingly good to this point in the season. They are finally under .500, but they went through the first half of the season with an even mark. Unfortunately for them, they've struggled lately, losing three of four to the Phillies and yesterday's opener to the Orioles. However, they are playing with house money this season as no one really expected them to be good. The trade deadline should be interesting for them. They can make some additions and make a push for the playoffs, or they could sell off guys and keep the plan of looking to next year.
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If they do trade for anything, it has to be for some pitching because their team ERA is 4.74. One guy who has been great for them this season takes the mound tonight as Foster Griffin gets the nod. Griffin is 30 years old, so I am curious if the team will invest in him long-term. He is 8-2 for the year with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP, both 18th in the majors. He has been great in June, throwing to a 1.48 ERA over four starts. Only Taylor Ward of the Orioles has faced him, getting a double in the only at-bat he had.
The Baltimore Orioles were expecting to improve after a disastrous year last year. This season has gone better, but they still aren't where they want to be. They enter today's game with a 39-44 record, sitting at fourth in the American League East and 10 games back. This is one of the hardest divisions in the league, so winning that is probably not even a thought. They have some good things going for them, but for whatever reason, they haven't been able to put it together into a sustained winning streak.
Perhaps pitching is their issue as well. The team has a 4.39 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP collectively. They do have a good starter going for them today. Brandon Young takes the mound with a 6-2 record, 1.26 WHIP, and a 3.07 ERA. He hasn't pitched enough innings to qualify for any sort of league leaderboard. He has been better at home with a 2.80 ERA. The Orioles have been very good in his starts, going 10-2 in games that Young has started. He faced the Nationals earlier in the year, going 3.2 innings and allowing five hits, three walks and two earned runs.
This should be a game the Orioles get just based on the current form of the two teams. Nothing is going all that well for Washington at the moment. Griffin will give them a great chance to win the game, but Young has been just as reliable for Baltimore, so that edge goes a bit out the window for the Nationals. I lean toward Baltimore.
The play, though, is to take the under. Although both teams are good on offense, the starters seem like the better option to rely on in this game. Brandon Young and Foster Griffin will limit the scoring opportunities. We would've hit the under yesterday if we could've dodged the one big inning. Hopefully, we can avoid that today. Give me the under 9 for this one.
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