| MATCHUP | Baltimore Orioles | Washington Nationals |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 20-25 | 22-23 |
| Spread | -1.5 141 | +1.5 -171 |
| Moneyline | -110 | -110 |
| Total | Over 10 (-113) | Under 10 (-107) |
| Where | Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia | |
| When | Saturday, May 16, 2026 | |
| Time | 04:05 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Washington Nationals Preview
The Washington Nationals have a 22-23 record this season and are sitting in the third place of the NL East. They have a 7-13 home record and are coming off a 3-2 home win against the Orioles. They will face the Mets and the Braves next.
The Nationals have a .241 batting average this season, .322 OBP and .407 Slugging percentage. Washington’s pitching staff has a 4.95 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. CJ Abrams is the team’s best hitter with a .291 batting average, also leading the team in RBI with 36. James Wood adds a team‑high 12 home runs.
Cade Cavalli (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Nationals, and he has a 1-2 record, 4.02 ERA and 1.59 WHIP.
Baltimore Orioles Preview
The Baltimore Orioles have a 20-25 record this season and are sitting in the third place of the AL East. They have a 8-13 away record and are coming off a 2-3 loss on the road against the Nationals. They will face the Rays and the Tigers next.
The Orioles have a .230 batting average this season, .315 OBP and .375 Slugging percentage. Baltimore’s pitching staff has a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Taylor Ward is the team’s best hitter with a .265 batting average. Jeremiah Jackson leads the team in RBI with 25, and Gunnar Henderson adds a team‑high 9 home runs.
Chris Bassitt (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Orioles, and he has a 3-2 record, 5.21 ERA and 1.74 WHIP.
Baltimore Orioles @ Washington Nationals Betting Trends: May 16, 2026
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Cade Cavalli Record this season: 1-2 ERA: 4.02
- Home Record: 0-1
- Last 5 against Orioles: –
Why the Washington Nationals will win
- The underdogs have won each of the last seven games between the Orioles and Nationals.
- The Orioles have lost eight of their last nine games as favorites against NL East opponents.
- The Orioles have failed to cover the run line in each of their last eight games as road favorites against NL East opponents.
- The underdogs have covered the run line in each of the last seven games between the Orioles and Nationals.
- The Nationals have won the first inning in three of their last four day games against the Orioles.
- The Orioles have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last four games as road favorites.
- The Orioles have trailed after 3 innings in five of their last six games at Nationals Park.
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Chris Bassitt Record this season: 3-2 ERA: 5.21
- Road Record: 1-1
- Last 5 against Nationals: 3-0
Why the Baltimore Orioles will win
- The Nationals have lost each of their last six day games against AL East opponents.
- The road team has won four of the last five games between the Orioles and Nationals.
- The Nationals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven games as home underdogs following a win.
- The Orioles have covered the run line in eight of their last nine road games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Nationals have lost the first inning in four of their last five day games against AL East opponents.
- The Nationals have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last seven day games at Nationals Park against AL East opponents.
- The Nationals have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last six day games against AL East opponents.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Orioles’ last eight games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Nine of the last 10 games between the Orioles and Nationals at Nationals Park have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Orioles’ last seven games as road favorites.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of Cade Cavalli’s last six home appearances as a starter.
Washington Nationals Player Prop Facts
- CJ Abrams has hit a home run in five of the Nationals’ last 19 day games.
- Luis Garcia has recorded two or more hits in each of his last three appearances in day games against teams that held a losing record.
- Nasim Nunez ranks T1st in the league in Steals (18) this season.
Baltimore Orioles Player Prop Facts
- Chris Bassitt has recorded five or more strikeouts in 17 of his last 18 Saturday appearances with his team as a favorite.
- Taylor Ward has recorded at least one hit in 17 of his last 18 appearances with his team as a road favorite.
- Chris Bassitt has recorded a win in each of his last four appearances in day games against NL East teams that held a losing record.
- Jordan Westburg has hit a home run in each of his last two road appearances against NL opponents that held a losing record.
- Taylor Ward ranks 3rd amongst qualified players for On Base Percentage (.425) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nationals rank 1st in the league for doubles this season (84).
- The Nationals rank 30th in the league for home runs allowed this season (64).
- The Orioles rank 28th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.259).
- The Orioles rank 27th in the league for strikeouts against this season (414).
Orioles vs Nationals Prediction
The Nationals are 9-1 in their last 10 meetings against the Orioles and are 6-1 in their last 7 meetings in Washington.
In this Orioles vs Nationals Prediction, both teams are coming at a pickem price. I like Cavalli in this matchup as he has been more stable than Bassitt and better at home. Bassitt has given up 4+ runs in two of his last three starts, has been terrible on the road and he is facing the second-best offense in baseball. I cannot trust this Orioles squad on the road with Bassitt on the mound, so I will take the Nationals on the moneyline in this one to win another one at home.