Red Sox vs Nationals Prediction - MLB Picks 8/15/23

Washington Nationals (53-66) vs Boston Red Sox (62-56)

Game Info: Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 7:05 pm (Nationals Park)

Josiah Gray (7-9) (3.69) vs Nick Pivetta (8-6) (4.16)

Betting Odds: Washington Nationals +145 / Boston Red Sox -175 --- Over/Under: 9 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: MLB.tv Stream the MLB Game of the Day all season on ESPN+. Sign up now! Advertisement

The Boston Red Sox will play the Washington Nationals in Game 1 of their series on Tuesday night at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Washington was able to get a much needed series sweep against Oakland over the weekend, while Boston has played well in two straight series. 

Red Sox Preview

The Boston Red Sox are 62-56 this season and they have won four of their last five games. Boston is coming off of a series win against the Tigers, where they won two out of three games. The Red Sox have pitched well recently and have allowed three runs or fewer in four of their last five games. The Boston pitching staff has a 4.32 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and a .255 opponent batting average this year. The Red Sox offense has scored 571 runs with a .262 batting average and a .328 on base percentage. Justin Turner is batting .288 with 19 home runs and 73 RBI’s for the Red Sox. The projected starting pitcher for Boston is Nick Pivetta, who is 8-6 with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP over 97.1 innings pitched this season.

Nationals Preview

The Washington Nationals are 53-66 this season and they have won four of their last six games. Washington is coming off of a series sweep against the Athletics, where they won all three games. The Nationals mounted a very impressive comeback on Sunday afternoon, where they scored six runs in the ninth inning to get the win. The Washington pitching staff has a 4.88 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP, and a .269 opponent batting average. The Nationals offense has scored 517 runs with a .260 batting average and a .320 on base percentage this season. Lane Thomas is batting .284 with 20 home runs and 68 RBI’s for the Nationals. The projected starting pitcher for Washington is Josiah Gray, who is 7-9 with a 3.69 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP over 126.2 innings pitched this year. 

Washington Nationals Team Facts

  • The Nationals have lost each of their last 10 home games against AL East opponents that held a winning record.
  • The Nationals have covered the run line seven of their last eight games at Nationals Park against teams that held a winning record.
  • The Nationals have led after 7 innings in three of their last four games as underdogs against American League opponents.
  • The 'Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Nationals' last three games as home underdogs against AL East opponents.
  • The Nationals have led after 5 innings in three of their last four games as underdogs against American League opponents.

Boston Red Sox Team Facts

  • The Red Sox have won each of their last nine night games against NL East opponents following a home win.
  • The Red Sox have covered the run line in each of their last nine night games against NL East opponents following a home win.
  • The Red Sox have trailed after 7 innings in three of their last four games as road favorites.
  • The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Red Sox's last three games as road favorites.
  • The Red Sox have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last eight Tuesday night games as favorites.

Washington Nationals Player Prop Facts

  • Joey Meneses has hit at least one home run in each of the Nationals' last three games as home underdogs against AL opponents.
  • Joey Meneses has recorded at least one RBI in four of his last five home appearances after not playing the previous day.
  • Keibert Ruiz has recorded three or more total bases in each of the Nationals' last four games against AL opponents.
  • Joey Meneses has scored at least one run in each of his last four appearances against AL opponents that held a winning record.
  • Josiah Gray has recorded five or more strikeouts in seven of his last nine appearances in night games against teams that held a winning record.
  • Joey Meneses has recorded at least one hit in each of his last eight appearances after not playing the previous day.

Boston Red Sox Player Prop Facts

  • Rafael Devers has hit at least one home run in three of his last four appearances in night games against NL teams that held a losing record.
  • Justin Turner has recorded at least one RBI in six of the Red Sox's last seven night games against NL teams that held a losing record.
  • Trevor Story has recorded two or more total bases in nine of his last 10 appearances with his team as a favorite against NL East opponents.
  • Trevor Story has scored at least one run in nine of his last 10 appearances with his team as a favorite against NL East opponents.
  • Nick Pivetta has recorded eight or more strikeouts in three of his last four appearances against opponents that held a losing record.
  • Trevor Story has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 appearances against NL East opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

  • The Washington Nationals ranks 2nd in the league for strikeouts against this season (849).
  • The Washington Nationals ranks 29th in the league for strikeouts this season (895).
  • The Boston Red Sox are one of only 4 teams in the league to rank top 10 in both strikeouts and on-base percentage this season.
  • The Boston Red Sox ranks 4th in the league for walks allowed this season (337).

Pick

The Red Sox have won two series in a row and they are only a few games out of the last Wild Card spot in the AL. Boston is under .500 on the road, but they face a Washington team that is 25-34 at home this year. Boston is starting Nick Pivetta, who has allowed eight earned runs over his last 16.1 innings pitched. Washington is starting Josiah Gray, who has allowed nine earned runs over his last 8.1 innings of work. Both teams are coming off of series wins, but Boston has the better lineup and Gray has had two tough starts in a row for Washington. Take the Red Sox -1.5 here. 

David’s Pick Red Sox -1.5

Get Premium Picks Start Winning Now »
The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

Mitch's Take...

NFL, NCAAF, MLB Best Bets for Today Picks & Predictions Thursday 9/12/24 | 7 Picks in 5 Minutes

18+ Has gambling become a problem for you? Call the National Problem Gambling Hotline.
1-800-522-4700 | ncpgambling.org

Credit Guaranteed Packages

Packages with Credit Guarantees automatically give you a credit if the package does not turn a profit—the sum of betting all individual picks. THESE ARE NOT PARLAYS UNLESS OTHERWISE CLEARLY STATED. If a credit guaranteed package does not profit, a credit for its full purchase price is automatically issued after picks are graded and verified.

For example, if you purchase a $39.95 package that doesn’t profit, you’ll get a $39.95 credit towards any future purchase(s) on our site. Credits are usually issued within hours of a game’s conclusion, so please allow a few hours for final verification.

To use your credits, log in to your account and add another package or pass to your cart. Credits will automatically reduce what you owe. Any remaining balance will be settled through our payment system, with any leftover credits available future purchases. Credits do not expire.

Dismiss