MLB.TV Free Game of the Day Betting Picks for Dodgers-Nationals (4/24/24)

Annie Nader•@ANader33

10d

The lengthy MLB season can cause some games to get lost in the shuffle, but MLB.TV provides fans with a Free Game of the Day throughout the regular season that can also be seen on FanDuel TV+ here, or also available on Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Fire TV, and FanDuel Sportsbook.

Why not add to the viewing excitement by getting in on the MLB odds over at FanDuel Sportsbook?

For this article, we've got you covered with a betting guide for each Free Game of the Day. With that, let's take a look at some of the best bets for today's free game.

Note: Lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise. Please check here to make sure you're seeing the most updated projections.

MLB Betting Picks

Dodgers vs. Nationals Betting Odds: Spread, Total, and Moneyline

Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (-114)
Total: 9.5
Moneyline:
- Dodgers: -190
- Nationals: +160

Best Bet

First 5 Innings Over 5.5 (+110)

A meeting between the Los Angeles Dodgers (14-11) and Washington Nationals (10-12) will be featured as today's Free Game of the Day.

With Landon Knack and Jake Irvin on the bump for each side, this game will serve as an identical matchup to last Wednesday's contest between these teams.

In that one, Irvin pitched six scoreless innings and led the Nats to a 2-0 victory. Knack, meanwhile, made his major league debut for LA, letting up 2 ER in 5 IP.

The bats were quiet last time around, but I'd expect each lineup to benefit from the repeat matchup, leading me to the over through the first five innings.

Irvin may have had his way with the Dodgers last week, but his overall numbers aren't particularly pretty. Since the start of 2023, he has been sporting a 4.38 ERA, 4.84 xFIP, 4.88 SIERA, and a 1.38 HR/9 ratio off of just a 19.3% K%.

The Dodgers serve as one of the most dominant lineups in baseball and should have no problem getting one over on the righty.

Dating back to 2023, LA's active roster has posted a .355 OBP (best), .470 SLG (second-best), 126 wRC+ (second-best), .201 ISO (second-best), and a 35.6% hard-hit rate (fourth-best) against right-handed pitchers.

I'd expect the Dodgers to carry a heavier weight of the run total through five innings, but we can rely on Washington for a pair of runs or so, too.

In what will be Knack's second major league start, I'd be surprised if he leaves this game without getting a tad dinged up.

In his minor league career, Knack allowed a pretty significant fly-ball rate. C.J. Abrams hit a homer off of him last week, and Washington has a solid chance to hit another dinger as they come in with the league's 11th-best HR/FB ratio and fifth-best slugging percentage against righties.

Best Props

Mookie Betts To Hit A Home Run (+450)

I can't deny Mookie Betts when we are getting his home run prop at such a solid number, and we have plenty of reason to trust Betts in this matchup.

Since 2023, he is sporting a .313 BA, .972 OPS, 166 wRC+, .246 ISO, 46.2% fly-ball rate, and a 38.8% hard-hit rate against right-handed pitchers.

Sure, his numbers against lefties are better, but I'd take the awesome aforementioned stat line any day of the week at +450, especially considering Betts has been unreal in 2024.

Irvin could be prone to a flare-up after dominating LA just last week, and Betts has a chance to set things off in the right direction.

He's hit a home run in 24.0% of his games this season, but these +450 odds imply just an 18.18% probability. FanDuel Research's projections give Betts a 33.0% likelihood to hit a long ball (third-highest on today's MLB slate), so I'm happy to take this +450 number.

Get in on the action today! All customers get a 30% Profit Boost to use on a 3+ leg Same Game Parlay for any MLB game happening April 24th! See thepromotions page for full details.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.