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- Apr 24, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Baltimore Orioles second base Jackson Holliday (7) steals second base ahead of a tag by Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Washington Nationals Vs. Baltimore Orioles Preview, Predictions, & Odds | May 16, 2025

Originally posted on Total Apex Fantasy Sports
By Matt Brown | Last updated May 16, 2025 11:19 AM ET

Washington Nationals (1-0) vs. Baltimore Orioles (1-0)

Game Details: Friday, May 16, 2025 @ 7:05 pm EST

Location: Oriole Park At Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland

M. Gore (L) vs. C. Povich (L)

Where to Watch: MLB.TV

The Washington Nationals are set to take on the Baltimore Orioles in the Beltway Series. These two teams played a series earlier in the season, with the Nationals taking two out of three. It has been a nightmare season for the Orioles, who came into the year with high expectations. They currently occupy the bottom of the AL East and are 2-8 in their last ten. Can they get back on track with a home series against the Nationals?

Betting Odds

Team	Spread	Total Runs	Money Line
	-1.5 (+164)	Over 9 (+102)	+110
	+1.5 (-198)	Under 9 (-122)	-130

** Odds Courtesy of DraftKings**

Apex Tale of The Tape

	*Team Stats*
4.11	Runs/G	3.76
.239	BA	.227
.308	OBP	.296
.378	SLG	.384
.684	OPS	.681
42	HR	49
46	SB	22
5.39	ERA	5.37
1.49	WHIP	1.47
8.27	K/9	7.66
.988	Fielding Percentage	.985
13	Saves	7

Projected Starting Pitchers H2H

*MacKenzie Gore*	*Player Stats*	*Cade Povich*
2-4	W/L	1-3
3.59	ERA	5.55
52.2	IP	35.2
1.16	WHIP	1.54
75	K	29
16	BB	12

Key Stats

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are led by leadoff hitter CJ Abrams. Over the past seven games, he is slashing .429/.714/1.181 with two doubles, two home runs, and two RBIs. The issue has been driving him in. Abrams and others make things happen on the base paths as they are in the top ten in the majors in stolen bases.

Left-hander MacKenzie Gore gets the start. He excels in racking up the strikeouts, averaging just over eight per game over his last five starts. However, he gives up a lot of home runs. In his last five starts, he has given up a home run in four of them. In two of those games, he gave up multiple home runs. The Orioles’ offense has plenty of power, so Gore will have to be careful.

Baltimore Orioles

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson has been on a tear for the Baltimore Orioles. Over the last seven games, he is slashing .346/.808/1.201 with a double, a triple, three home runs, and seven RBIs. The issue has been the rest of the lineup. In the same time span, catcher Adley Rutschman is only hitting .143, having only mustered up three hits over the past week.

Left-hander Cade Povich gets the start in game one of the series, looking to turn his season around. In his last start against the Minnesota Twins, he gave up five earned runs in six innings of work, striking out four batters. Povich faced the Nationals on April 17th, throwing 6.2 innings while giving up four hits, one earned run, and striking out five batters.

Washington Nationals vs. Baltimore Orioles Betting Trends

	*Betting Stats*
2-8	W/L 10	2-8
21-24	ATS	15-27
21-22-2	O/U	20-19-3

Prediction

The Baltimore Orioles offense does one thing well: hit home runs. Despite an anemic offense, they are still in the top half of the league in total home runs. This is the reason I am picking them today. Gore gives up a lot of flyballs, and in the past five starts, many of those have turned into home runs. Look for the Orioles’ lineup to mash the ball and get on the scoreboard early. Povich already faced this lineup and kept them under control.