San Diego (52-44) vs Washington (38-58)
July 18, 2025 at 06:45 PM EDT
The Line: Betting Odds: Washington +1.5 — Over/Under: +8.5
In this article, we will formulate a Padres vs Nationals prediction for this MLB game on Friday, July 18th at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
San Diego Padres Betting Preview
The San Diego Padres are 52-44 this year after they won two out of three against Philadelphia by scores of 4-2, 5-4, and 1-2. In their game three loss, San Diego tied the game at one in the sixth inning, but allowed the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for the loss. The Padres recorded seven hits and they committed two errors in the game, while they were led by Iglesias, who went 1-4 with one RBI in the loss. San Diego started Pivetta, who allowed three hits and zero earned runs over 6.2 innings, while Morejon picked up the loss in relief.
Prior to that series, the Padres split four games with the Diamondbacks and won two out of three against the Rangers. San Diego has won three of their last four games, and they are currently second in the NL West standings. The San Diego pitching staff has a 3.64 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP and a .229 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 383 runs with a .246 batting average and a .315 on-base percentage this season. Manny Machado has led San Diego with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs, while Fernando Tatis has added 16 home runs and 42 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for San Diego is Dylan Cease, who is 3-9 with a 4.88 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP over 103.1 innings pitched this year.
Washington Nationals Betting Preview
The Washington Nationals are 38-58 this season after they lost all three games against the Brewers by scores of 3-8, 5-6, and 1-8. In their game three loss, Washington cut the deficit to 3-1 in the seventh inning, but their bullpen fell apart for the blowout loss. The Nationals recorded four hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Lile, who had their lone RBI in the loss. Washington started Irvin, who allowed four hits and zero earned runs over 5.0 innings for the loss, while Rutledge allowed four earned runs in relief.
Prior to that series, the Nationals lost two out of three against the Cardinals and all three against the Red Sox. Washington has lost eight of their last nine games, and they are currently last in the NL East standings. The Washington pitching staff has a 5.21 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP and a .264 opponent batting average, while the offense has scored 417 runs with a .245 batting average and a .311 on-base percentage this season. James Wood has led Washington with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs, while Nathaniel Lowe has added 14 home runs and 61 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Washington is Michael Soroka, who is 3-7 with a 5.35 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 67.1 innings pitched this season.
Why the Nationals will beat the Padres
The underdogs have won four of the Padres’ last five games.
The Padres have lost three of their last four games as road favorites following a home loss.
The underdogs have covered the run line in each of the Padres’ last seven games.
The Padres have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight night games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
The Padres have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four night games against NL East opponents that held a losing record.
The Nationals have led after 5 innings in six of their last eight home games against NL West opponents that held a winning record.
Why the Padres will beat the Nationals
The Padres have won each of their last eight Friday games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
The Nationals have lost seven of their last eight games against National League opponents.
The Nationals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven home games against National League opponents following a loss.
The Padres have covered the run line in each of their last six road games against the Nationals following a loss.
The Padres have led after 3 innings in six of their last eight games at Nationals Park.
The Padres have led after 5 innings in each of their last four games at Nationals Park against National League opponents that held a losing record.
Total Runs Facts
Each of the Nationals’ last six games as home underdogs have gone OVER the total runs line.
Six of the Padres’ last eight games against NL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Padres’ last five games as favorites against NL East opponents.
The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Nationals’ last five games as underdogs against NL West opponents.
Washington Nationals Player Prop Facts
CJ Abrams has hit a home run in four of the Nationals’ last five Friday night games against NL West opponents that held a winning record.
Michael Soroka has recorded five or more strikeouts in five of his last six home appearances.
CJ Abrams has recorded at least one hit in each of the Nationals’ last 10 night games against opponents that held a winning record.
Josh Bell has recorded a Double in three of the Nationals’ last four night games against opponents that held a winning record.
CJ Abrams is one of only nine players to record 10+ Home Runs and 4+ Triples this season.
San Diego Padres Player Prop Facts
Manny Machado has hit a home run in each of the Padres’ last two night games.
Dylan Cease has recorded six or more strikeouts in seven of his last eight appearances against NL opponents.
Jose Iglesias has recorded at least one hit in 20 of his last 21 road appearances against NL East opponents that held a losing record.
Manny Machado has recorded at least one Double in three of his last four road appearances against the Nationals after not playing the previous day.
Dylan Cease ranks 9th in the league for total Strikeouts (129) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
The Nationals rank 4th in the league for strikeouts against this season (730).
The Nationals rank 27th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.264).
The Padres rank 3rd in the league for hits allowed this season (727).
The Padres rank 27th in the league for home runs this season (83).
Padres vs Nationals Prediction
Washington comes into this contest trying to snap a four-game losing streak, but they have played very poorly over the last few weeks. The Nationals are 18-28 at home this year, while the Padres are 21-26 on the road. San Diego has won three of their last four games, but they are 5.5 games behind the Dodgers. The Padres are starting Cease, who has allowed 13 earned runs in his last three starts (16 IP). The Nationals are going with Soroka, who has allowed three earned runs or more in three of his last five outings. I think we are going to see plenty of offense in this series, and we know the Nationals struggle to get outs, so give me the over here.