WSH vs DET Prediction, Odds and MLB Picks for Today

I'm more than happy to lay the additional run with Detroit here, and this handicap is almost entirely about how Washington is approaching the game. It's essentially a bullpen assignment for the Nationals with Rich Lovelady leading the way. Uh oh. That's not exactly encouraging when we're talking about one of the more vulnerable relief units in baseball. Washington's bullpen enters with a 5.04 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, giving up 109 home runs on the year. That's traffic plus scoring opportunities. And that's exactly what I want when I'm laying -1.5 runs and getting +130 in return. That is the epitome of value.

Comerica Park might provide Washington's pitchers with some protection because of its dimensions, but a pitcher's park doesn't suddenly transform a bad bullpen into a good one. Detroit still possesses enough pop to punish mistakes, extend innings and eventually create separation against a Washington staff that will have to manufacture virtually an entire game from its pitching corps. That's the key. I'm not asking the Tigers to solve an established starter and wait until the 7th inning to attack Washington's weakness. The weakness is in play for the whole game. That gives Detroit multiple trips through a vulnerable collection of arms and plenty of opportunities to create the crooked inning we need. This is a bet of the day, plain and simple.

Nationals vs Tigers prediction: Detroit -1.5 (+130) available at time of publishing. Playable to +120.