Nationals vs. Tigers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Saturday, May 20, 2023

May 20, 2023, by Matt Rooney MLB Predictions

The Washington Nationals (18-27) stumble into Saturday’s matchup with the Detroit Tigers (20-22) looking to break a four-game losing streak. The contest starts at 4:05 PM ET on MASN2 with the Nationals listed as -119 favorites to right the ship.

Washington’s Patrick Corbin and Detroit’s Alex Faedo have been named the starters for this contest.

Nationals vs. Tigers Odds

Nationals odds to win: -119
Tigers odds to win: -100
Spread: Nationals -1.5
Total: 9.5 runs

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Game Time and Information

Date: Saturday, May 20, 2023
Time: 4:05 PM ET
TV: MASN2

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Who Will Win Nationals vs. Tigers?

Nationals and Tigers Betting Trends

The Nationals have not been the moneyline favorite so far this season.

Washington has not yet played a game with moneyline odds of -119 or shorter.

This season, the Tigers have been the underdog 38 times and won 17, or 44.7%, of those games.

Detroit is 16-21 this season when entering a game as the underdog by -100 or more on the moneyline.

The Nationals have combined with opponents to go over the total 19 times this season for a 19-22-3 record against the over/under.

So far this season, the Tigers and their opponents have hit the over in 21 of their 42 games with a total.

Nationals Stats & Insights

The Nationals rank 24th in runs scored with 182, four per game.

Washington has hit 31 home runs this season, the second-lowest total in MLB action.

The Nationals rank eighth in MLB with a .258 batting average.

Washington strikes out 7.2 times per game, the second-best mark in the majors.

The pitching staff for the Nationals has a collective 7.4 K/9, the worst in MLB.

Washington has a 4.44 team ERA that ranks 19th among all MLB pitching staffs.

Tigers Stats & Insights

The Tigers are among the lowest scoring teams in the league, ranking last with just 151 total runs (3.6 per game) this season.

Detroit has hit just 35 homers this season, which ranks 27th in the majors.

The Tigers’ .229 batting average ranks 25th in the league this season.

Detroit ranks 11th in MLB in strikeouts per game with an average of nine Ks per contest.

The Tigers strike out just 7.9 batters per nine innings as a pitching staff, which ranks 27th in MLB.

Detroit has the 17th-ranked ERA (4.39) in the majors this season.

Nationals Key Players to Watch

Corbin gets the start for the Nationals, his 10th of the season. He is 2-5 with a 4.65 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings pitched.

Lane Thomas leads Washington in home runs this season with six while driving in 21 runs.

Luis Garcia is batting .255 with an OBP of .301 and a slugging percentage of .359 this season.

Jeimer Candelario has collected 41 base hits, an OBP of .306 and a slugging percentage of .422 this season.

Keibert Ruiz has 35 hits and an OBP of .309 to go with a slugging percentage of .370 this season.

Tigers Key Players to Watch

Faedo will get the start for the Tigers, his third of the season.

Riley Greene paces the Tigers with a .296 batting average.

Javier Baez has capitalized on opportunities as he leads his team with 19 runs batted in.

Spencer Torkelson is batting .232 with 10 doubles, three home runs and 11 walks.

Zach McKinstry is hitting .274 with five doubles, three home runs and 13 walks.

Nationals and Tigers Injuries

Nationals: Victor Robles: 10 Day IL (Back), Israel Pineda: 10 Day IL (Finger), Stephen Strasburg: 60 Day IL (Ribs/shoulder), Tanner Rainey: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Cade Cavalli: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Victor Arano: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)

Tigers: Kerry Carpenter: 10 Day IL (Shoulder), Spencer Turnbull: 15 Day IL (Neck), Trey Wingenter: 15 Day IL (Biceps), Matt Manning: 60 Day IL (Foot), Austin Meadows: 60 Day IL (Anxiety), Beau Brieske: 60 Day IL (Arm), Casey Mize: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Tarik Skubal: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Freddy Pacheco: 60 Day IL (Elbow)