It’s been far from World Series-caliber seasons for the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles so far this year. Even still, as fans in the area will tell you, this is a rivalry of nearby teams to get excited for, so we’ve provided our best Nationals vs. Orioles predictions for today’s battle of I-95.

Of course, that also means that transition into a best bet from our Nationals vs. Orioles picks, and on top of that, we’ll also be sharing an extremely generous 10-part Caesars Sportsbook sign-up offer! 

Nationals vs. Orioles Predictions For MLB On FOX, 5/17

Well, based on last year’s standings, these teams couldn’t have been more opposite. In fact, they had exact inverse records - Baltimore at 91-71 and Washington at 71-91. This year, they’re as close in record as they are in location.

They’re both among the worst teams in baseball, but for the O’s, they’re the ones who were not expected to be in this position. Winning games, let alone series, has been difficult to come by for Baltimore, and that includes against a Washington team that they’re expected to beat. Well, at least at the time, they certainly were.

These “in-state” rivals met less than a month ago, with the Nats winning two of the three games, and for betting purposes, covering the run line in all three. Despite that recent series, we actually have a pitching matchup where neither starter was on the mound in those previous meetings.

That means there is plenty to break down so that we can get into the best bet from our Nationals vs. Orioles predictions. 
 

 

 

Washington Nationals: Solid Wins But Not Sold

The Nats may have done well against the O’s last month, but it’s still been far from rainbows and butterflies since then. While they recently snapped their seven-game losing streak with a narrow 5-4 win, they got right back in the losing column prior to yesterday’s series opener.

Like you’ll see with Baltimore in just a moment, it’s how non-competitive that Washington looks at times that keeps fans from being hopeful. Prior to their recent series against the Atlanta Braves, the Nats lost a series to the St. Louis Cardinals by a combined score of 20-3. Perhaps that could end up being good news for former Cards starter Kyle Gibson today? 
 

 

 

Baltimore Orioles: The Struggles Continue

We mentioned that winning a series was hard to come by for the O’s, so seeing them recently win one over the Los Angeles Angels was enough to get fans excited. Well, that was until they followed it up by getting swept by the Minnesota Twins…again. They did the same just prior to that Angels series.

That has helped the Twins pull off one of the best winning streaks we’ll see this season, and more concerning for those in Baltimore is the fact that they weren’t even competitive. In the first series, they were outscored 19-5, and in this week’s series, all three games were decided by multiple runs.
 

 

 

How To Watch Nationals vs. Orioles Today

Today’s afternoon clash is featured on national television, and we’ve got more details on how to watch Nationals vs. Orioles today here:

  • Where: Orioles Stadium at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD 
  • When: 4:05 PM ET on 5/17
  • Watch on TV: FOX
  • Where to stream: Fubo, MLB.TV
     
 

 

Nationals vs. Orioles Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

With two struggling teams lacking aces on the mound, it feels like today’s game should be quite an interesting one, and you can see the latest Nationals vs. Orioles odds at Caesars Sportsbook below:

 

 

Nationals vs. Orioles Best Bet: Cedric Mullins Over 0.5 Total Bases (-140 at Caesars Sportsbook)

After plenty of discussion regarding how these teams entered this series, let’s get more focus on Nationals vs. Orioles predictions for today, specifically, and this second game of the series. The O’s decided to push back Zach Eflin’s start, but frankly, it doesn’t make much difference who’s taking the mound given Baltimore’s rotation this season.

In terms of overall pitching staffs, the Nats and O’s have the third and fourth-worst team ERAs in the league, respectively. Along with a starting pitching matchup of Washington’s Jake Irvin and Baltimore’s Kyle Gibson, it’s difficult to imagine a ton of strikeouts today.

So, instead of focusing our Nationals vs. Orioles picks on the mound specifically, we're looking elsewhere. We have our eyes on Baltimore’s lineup. The target may surprise you, and understandably so, as it’s a player known for defense and speed rather than power at the plate. However, Cedric Mullins has improved in that regard this year.

He actually trails only Adley Rutschman in terms of the team lead for total bases this year, and while he’s a great target as well, this is all about the line. Total bases props are nearly always at 1.5, but you’ll see that Mullins is at 0.5 instead. While that comes with a higher price tag, it’s worth it in our eyes.

Mullins was Baltimore’s second-best hitter against Washington in their previous series with a .364 average. Now facing Jake Irvin, who has recorded three TOTAL strikeouts in his last three starts combined, he’s got a solid matchup to perform once again.

We know it’s not a typical approach, but the best bet from our Nationals vs. Orioles predictions is Cedric Mullins over 0.5 total bases (-140 at Caesars Sportsbook).
 

 

 

Nationals vs. Orioles Injury Report & Starting Pitchers

When it comes to Nationals vs. Orioles injury news, it’s back to bad news for the O’s - they recently learned that Jordan Westburg suffered a setback during rehab. That’s while they are already without starter Grayson Rodriguez. 

As for Washington, its infielders, Luis Garcia Jr. (paternity leave) and Paul DeJong (10-day IL) to keep an eye on. To also retaliate, here are the expected Nationals vs. Orioles starters for today: 

 

 

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