This game will be must-watch TV — well, only if you’re a diehard baseball fan. National League East rivals in the Nationals and Marlins will go to head-to-head with their young pitchers on the mound. Edward Cabrera takes the mound for the Miami Marlins, while MacKenzie Gore takes the bump for the Nationals. Let’s dive into the best Nationals-Marlins bet.
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Editor Note: This Article Was Originally Published the morning of May 17
Nationals-Marlins Bet: MacKenzie Gore O/U 2.5 Earned Runs
MacKenzie Gore is set to become a staple in the Nationals starting rotation for years to come. He was the biggest piece in the blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres and is ready to make a name for himself in just his second season in the big leagues.
The Marlins are no slouch against left-handed pitching; they rank just outside the top 10 in batting average, but they are 20th in on-base percentage in May and haven’t seen a left-handed starting pitcher in over two weeks. They opened May against three starting lefties and struggled against the Cubs southpaw duo of Drew Smyly and Justin Steele, who combined to register only three runs across 10-plus innings.
Like Smyly, Gore tends to build up long counts that either end in a strikeout or walk. With the long at-bats, Gore doesn’t eat up innings as much as one would like. There have been three different instances where Gore failed to make it to the fifth inning, but he has still surrendered fewer than three runs in six of eight starts, including all four of his road starts.
Best Nationals-Marlins Bet: MacKenzie Gore Under 2.5 Earned Runs -145 (DraftKings)
