Washington Nationals vs. Oakland Athletics Odds, Line, Picks, and Prediction - September 1 | 2022 MLB Season

The Washington Nationals will meet the Oakland Athletics on Thursday afternoon. This matchup pits two last-placed teams with little to play for.

The Nationals came out on top 5-1 versus the Athletics on Wednesday night to improve to 44-86 this season. The Athletics are now 49-82 this year after losing Wednesday. Washington won, but they have been a bad team while at home, sporting just a 21-47 record at Nationals Park.

"Final: OAK 1 | WSH 5" - Oakland A's

Washington sends out hurler Paolo Espino for Thursday's matchup. He is 0-6 with a 5.32 ERA over 14 starts. He has had a season to forget so far, but fortunately for him, he'll be pitching against a poor Athletics lineup. The A's offense, which scores the second-fewest runs per game in the league, could be a way for Espino to get back on track.

In his previous outing, Espino didn't do too bad. He tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while striking out four in a loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The Nationals' righty is sporting a rough 5.56 ERA at home this season, though, so look for Oakland to try to get the bats going after last night's disappointing result.

Ken Waldichuk will start for Oakland, making his major league debut. Waldichuk was traded from the New York Yankees at the deadline, and the lefty is now getting a shot to show what he's made of.

Waldichuk's minor league stats this year have been very solid, as he's gone 6-4 with a 2.84 ERA in 21 outings. Washington has gone just 13-23 against southpaws this year, so let's see if Waldichuk can piece together a strong debut.

Washington Nationals vs. Oakland Athletics Match Details

Fixture: Oakland Athletics @ Washington Nationals

Date & Time: Thursday, September 1, 4:05 p.m. EDT

Venue: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

Washington Nationals vs. Oakland Athletics Betting Odds

Team	Money Line	Spread	Over/Under
Oakland Athletics	+100	+1.5 (-215)	Over 8.0 (-120)
Washington Nationals	-110	-1.5 (+175)	Under 8.0 (+100)

Sean Murphy has had a great series so far, and he'll look to keep it going on Thursday. Murphy is slugging .553 in his last 94 at-bats, much higher than his season mark. Look for him to produce again from the middle of the A's lineup.

Pick: Sean Murphy Over 1.5 Total Bases (+100)

Washington Nationals vs. Oakland Athletics Betting Prediction

The Nationals have not done well against lefties this year, and looking at their lineup, there aren't many threats. Espino has struggled this year, and Waldichuk has an advantage since no MLB team has ever seen him. Look for Oakland to lead after five in this one.

Prediction: Athletics First 5 Innings ML (-105)