Cleveland's pitching staff and batting order hope to create an unwelcoming environment in interleague play on Friday when the Washington Nationals pay a visit to Progressive Field.

The Indians will turn to Justin Masterson and his 8-5 record as they look for a win in this one, while the Nationals send Gio Gonzalez (3-3) to the hill.



View Washington vs Cleveland Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had set the Indians as -117 favorites on the moneyline for this contest. The over under was hovering near 7.5 for bettors hoping to turn a profit on totals at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings:
The Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings have the Indians at No. 8 in the American League and the Nationals at No. 12 in the National League heading into this contest.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Cleveland's No. 5 ranked American League offense (4.7 runs per game) against a Nationals defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 5 in the National League at 3.9 runs allowed per game. The Indians have been averaging 8.7 hits per game, more than the Nationals have managed so far this season (7.7 hits on average).

Comparing defensive stats, Washington owns the National League's No. 10-rated road mark, allowing 4.4 runs per game on the highway. Cleveland, on the other hand, rates No. 7 in scoring at home.

Washington was a 5-4 Sportsbook in its last match on the road against the Rockies. They won as +130 underdogs, while the total score of 9 made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. Washington got the job done in their last match in a 5-4 victory over Colorado on Thursday at Coors Field behind starter Ross Detwiler.

Last time out for Cleveland, they were a 5-2 Sportsbook as they battled the Rangers on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Indians at +134 were rewarded, while the 7 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Indians grabbed a win last time out, defeating Nick Tepesch and the Rangers 5-2 on Wednesday at Rangers Ballpark.


Washington Nationals Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Cleveland are 4-5
After playing Colorado are 8-2
After a win are 3-7

Cleveland Indians Trends:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Washington are 6-3
After playing Texas are 7-3
After a win are 6-4

A few Nationals at Indians trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Cleveland is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games at home
Cleveland is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games


Next up:
Washington at Cleveland, Saturday, June 15