Athletics vs. Nationals Prediction, Odds & Best Bets Today: Will Washington Pull Off Series Win?

Can the underdog Nationals pull off a series win against the Athletics in today's matinee in Washington?

Mike Spector

Last Updated: August 7, 2025 11:21 AM EDT • 5 minute read

Athletics vs. Nationals Prediction, Odds & Best Bets Today: Thursday, Aug. 7 — Pictured: Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers rounds the bases as we make our best Athletics vs. Nationals prediction. Photo by Geoff Burke via Imagn Images.

A first pitch at 12:05 p.m. ET (MLBN) from Nationals Park gives the Washington Nationals and visiting Athletics the spotlight. It's a small slate today, and my Athletics vs. Nationals prediction should get your day started on the right foot.

The Athletics are -135 moneyline betting favorites at our best sports betting sites, and I'm going to back one of their hottest hitters in a favorable matchup as part of my Athletics vs. Nationals best bets.

Athletics vs. Nationals prediction: Nationals to win (+115 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐
Best Athletics vs. Nationals player props: Shea Langeliers Over 1.5 total bases (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

⚾ Athletics vs. Nationals prediction & odds

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We've received some betting insights from BetMGM ahead of the action this afternoon.

Athletics at Nationals is the most bet game (tickets)
The Athletics (-145) are the most bet individual team on the moneyline (tickets and handle)
Athletics at Nationals Over 9 is the second-most bet total
Nick Kurtz Over 0.5 home runs (+400) and James Wood Over 0.5 home runs (+475) are the second- and fourth-most bet player props of the day, respectively

💰 Athletics vs. Nationals prediction & best bet

✅ Athletics vs. Nationals prediction: Nationals to win (+115 via Caesars)

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There is no denying Washington’s poor play of late. It finally snapped a six-game losing streak with yesterday’s walk-off win, after pitching to an 11.60 team ERA and allowing a 1.148 opponents’ OPS during the losing streak. However, Washington should not be as undervalued as it is in this matchup, so I am backing the home underdogs with my Athletics vs. Nationals prediction.

The Nationals were victims of a brutal schedule over the last week, as their losing streak and poor pitching came against two first-place teams (the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros). However, Washington won each of its two series before that, and its 45-68 record is mainly due to struggles against winning teams (23-47 against teams over .500).

Washington is a much more respectable 22-21 against teams under .500, and it is 2-0 with a plus-nine run differential in Mitchell Parker’s last two starts against teams with a losing record.

With our Athletics vs. Nationals best bet, we are bucking a profitable trend in which the Athletics are an eye-popping 8-1 as road favorites. But they are also 10 games under .500 in interleague matchups, so we are not discouraged that the public seems to be backing them in droves, bringing them from -130 favorites to -135 overnight.

💰 Best Athletics vs. Nationals player props

✅ Best Athletics vs. Nationals player prop: Shea Langeliers Over 1.5 total bases (-110 via DraftKings)

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Langeliers should benefit in his role as designated hitter today, with this being a day game after a night game, and his tremendous numbers as a DH have us confidently backing him with our best Athletics vs. Nationals player props.

The Athletics catcher is slashing .394/.412/.758 as a DH compared to .261/.316/.525 when he catches this season.

His 10 home runs since the All-Star break are quietly tied for the MLB lead, and his ability to elevate the ball lately adds to the appeal for him to go over his total bases prop. Before the All-Star break, Langeliers had a 42.8% ground ball rate and 57.2% air rate on batted balls. Since the break, he has hit a whopping 70% of batted balls in the air.

The Nationals' pitching staff allowed 16 home runs over its recent six-game losing streak. So while I would not put anyone off backing Langeliers’ best +285 home run odds, at FanDuel, we are still getting great value with the -110 odds at DraftKings for the total bases wager, compared to bet365’s -130 odds (carrying a 56.52% implied probability on the high end of the market.

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Written by:
Mike Spector

Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”