The Washington Nationals begin a two-game interleague series against the Tampa Bay Rays at terrible (just my opinion) Tropicana Field. This game opened as a pick’em with odds for each team set at -110. A pair of lefties take the hill as Gio Gonzalez faces off against Blake Snell with tonight’s total Sportsbook at 7 runs.
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of the Rays’ last 12 games (avg combined score: 5.42).
- The total has gone UNDER in 22 of the Nationals’ last 30 games on the road (avg combined score: 7.1).
- The Rays are 8-3 in Blake Snell’s last 11 starts at home.
Breaking Down the Hurlers
The Nationals look to Gio Gonzalez (6-4, 3.08 ERA) to get back on track. Gonzalez has been struggling since the calendar flipped to June, sporting a 6.20 ERA with the club splitting his four starts. However, the Nationals are 7-3 SU over his last 10 starts. The Florida native has a 4.42 career ERA in interleague play, nearly a full run higher than his career ERA overall (3.61). Gonzalez has done well this season at limiting runs as the Nats have gone UNDER in 10 of his 15 starts, with an average combined score of 7.5 in those games. Against the Rays, Gonzalez has a 5.54 ERA over six career appearances.
Blake Snell (9-4, 2.48 ERA) counters for the Rays, making his first career start against the Nationals. Snell has been strong against National League opponents in eight lifetime outings, posting a 2.33 ERA, but his club is 3-5 SU in those games. Tampa Bay is 8-3 SU over the lefty’s last 11 home starts while going 9-2 ATS over the same span. The Washington native has allowed three or fewer runs in 12 of his 16 starts this season and has permitted more than three runs in just one game at home. According to our Pitcher Money Won table, Snell has earned bettors a profit of $309 based on $100 bets on each of his starts in 2018.
Two Clubs Riding UNDER Trends
All signs are pointing at the UNDER in this game. The Nationals have gone UNDER in 10 of Gonzalez’s 15 starts this season and in 11 of his last 16 road outings. Meanwhile, the Rays have gone UNDER in four of Snell’s last five outings with a combined average score of 6. Washington has struggled to pile on runs over its past 30 road games, averaging 3.9 runs per game and going UNDER in 22 of those contests. Similarly, Tampa Bay has gone UNDER in 10 of its last 12 games and is averaging just 2.7 runs over that span.
Rays Strong Bet at Home
Tampa Bay enters this contest having won six straight home games, the second such streak the club has had this year. Overall this season, the Rays are 18-16 at home and are 14-12 against left-handed starters. Meanwhile, the Nats have dropped their last five games following a victory and are just 8-15 against lefty starters.
