The Washington Nationals hit the road for a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers starting on Friday night.
My Nationals vs. Dodgers prediction is expecting Washington’s starter to rack up the strikeouts in the best MLB picks on Friday, June 20.
Nationals vs Dodgers prediction
My Nationals vs Dodgers best bet: MacKenzie Gore Over 5.5 strikeouts (-130 at DraftKings)
Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore has been steadily improving since being acquired in the Juan Soto blockbuster trade. He went 10-12 with a 3.90 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 181 strikeouts in 166.1 innings last season, and Gore is seeing even better results this year.
The southpaw is off to a tremendous start this season, going 3-6 with a 2.89 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and an NL-leading 119 strikeouts across 87.1 innings in 15 starts.
Gore has consistently hit this six-strikeout mark this season as well. He has at least six strikeouts in 13 of 15 starts this season, including seven strikeouts in six innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers back on April 7. In fact, Gore has 7+ punchouts in 11 of his 15 starts so far.
The Dodgers are one of the better teams at avoiding striking out, but their 8.13 strikeouts per game is still in the middle of the pack, at the 13th-lowest in the league.
Gore has shown high-strikeout upside this season with 8+ Ks in seven of his starts, including 9+ in five of them. It may be worth looking at a strikeout ladder tonight for the southpaw.
Nationals vs Dodgers same-game parlay (SGP)
Gore 6+ strikeouts
Gore Over 17.5 outs
Under 8.5
Gore has been able to rack up the strikeouts this season thanks to his pitching deep into the game. He’s gone at least six innings in 12 of 15 starts with 6+ strikeouts in 11 of those outings.
While the southpaw should impress on the mound, the Nationals face a tough test in Clayton Kershaw, who is coming off seven shutout innings of three-hit ball against the Giants. The Dodgers are still the much better team here and should be able to get a few runs on Gore or the Nationals' bullpen.
Nationals vs Dodgers odds
Nationals vs Dodgers live odds
Nationals vs Dodgers opening odds
- Moneyline: Washington +174 | Los Angeles -196
- Run line: Washington +1.5 (-130) | Los Angeles -1.5 (+105)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Nationals vs Dodgers trend
The Los Angeles Dodgers have hit the Moneyline in 5 of their last 6 games (+2.50 Units / 21% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Nationals vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Nationals vs Dodgers and game info
| Location | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Friday, 6-20-2025 |
| First pitch | 10:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | MASN2, SportsNet Los Angeles |
| Nationals starting pitcher | MacKenzie Gore (3-6, 2.89 ERA) |
| Dodgers starting pitcher | Clayton Kershaw (2-0, 3.25 ERA) |
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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