Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Cincinnati Reds vs Washington Nationals: Both teams are struggling this season

The Washington Nationals will try to sweep the Cincinnati Reds tonight at Nationals Park.

The Reds have split the last 10 games

The Cincinnati Reds are fourth in the NL Central with a 47-52 record, including 22-24 on the road. They have lost the last three games including the first two in the series against the Nationals. The Reds have a 3.89 ERA, a .236 batting average, a .311 on-base percentage, and 1.26 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Elly De La Cruz is the best player on the team, leading with 94 hits, 65 runs, and 17 home runs.

The Nationals are picking up their form

The Washington Nationals are fourth in the NL East with a 46-53 record, including 22-24 at home. The Nationals have won 4 of their last 5 games. Washington has a 4.15 ERA, a .250 batting average, a .313 on-base percentage, and 1.30 walks plus hits per inning pitched. CJ Abrams is the best player on the team, with 97 hits, 60 runs, and 15 home runs for the season.

Betting Trends

The Nationals are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games overall, 3-7 SU in their last 10 games against the Reds and 4-2 SU in their last 6 games against teams from the NL Central. Washington has played over the total run line in 4 of their last 5 games overall, in the last 5 games against Cincinnati, in 5 of their last 6 home games, and 13 of their last 19 games against teams from the NL. The Reds are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games against the Nationals, 7-3 SU in their last 10 visits to Washington and 2-4 SU in their last 6 games against teams from the NL East. Cincinnati has played over the total run line in 7 of their last 8 games overall, in 5 of their last 7 games on the road and 8 of their last 11 games against teams from the NL.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Washington Nationals were very solid in the first two games of the series, winning 8-5 and 5-4. They will try to sweep the series going with Jake Irvin on the mound. He is 7-8 for the season, with a 3.49 ERA, 99 K, 116 IP, and 1.11 WHIP. The Reds will try to end their three-game losing streak by going with one of their best pitchers. Andrew Abbott is 9-6 for the season with a 3.39 ERA, 86 K, 106.1 IP, and 1.21 WHIP. The Reds are a much better team than the current record shows. In their last road series before coming to DC, they swept the Yankees in New York. They also won the previous two games in Washington last season and will win tonight as well.