Washington Nationals at Houston Astros World Series Game 1 odds, picks and betting tips

The Washington Nationals (93-69 regular season) visit the Houston Astros (107-55) Tuesday in Game 1 of the World Series at 8:08 p.m. ET (on FOX). Below is a breakdown of the Nationals vs. Astros sports gambling odds and lines, with sports betting tips on the moneyline, spread and Over/Under, along with suggested bets.

The two clubs haven't met since 2017 when the Nationals took 2 of 3 at Minute Maid Park.

Nationals at Astros: Projected starting pitchers

RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Gerrit Cole

Scherzer finished the regular season 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA and a 243/33 K-BB ratio in 27 starts.

• Last start : Won NLCS Game 2 at the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1, yielding just one hit through seven scoreless innings with 11 K's and two walks Oct. 12 - the three-time Cy Young Award winner no-hit the Cards through six innings before allowing a leadoff single in the seventh.
• Postseason history : 6-5 with a 3.35 ERA in 20 appearances (16 starts), including 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA (4 ER, 20 IP) in four games (three starts) this year.
• Career vs. Astros : 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in seven games (six starts), but he hasn't faced them since 2014.

Cole, who led the majors in strikeouts, went 20-5 with an AL-best 2.50 ERA and a 326/48 K-BB ratio in 33 regular-season starts this season.

• Last start : Won ALCS Game 3 at the New York Yankees 4-1 Oct. 15, allowing four hits and five walks with seven K's in seven scoreless innings.
• Postseason history : 5-3 with a 2.26 ERA in eight starts, including 3-0 with an amazing 0.40 ERA (1 ER, 22.2 IP) and 32 K's this year.
• Career vs. Nationals : 3-2 with a 2.92 ERA in six starts.

Nationals at Astros: By the numbers

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• The Nationals are 17-13 in Scherzer's starts. The Astros are 29-7 in Cole's starts.
• The Astros lead the majors with a 65-22 home record.
• The Nationals are 47-39 on the road.
• The Astros are 4-6-1 Over/Under this postseason and 2-3-1 O/U at home.
• The Nationals are 4-6 O/U this postseason and 1-4 O/U on the road.
• Astros CF Michael Brantley is a career .341 hitter (15-for-44) with a HR and nine RBIs vs. Scherzer.
• The Nationals have won eight of their last nine at Houston, but that was a much different Astros club.

Nationals at Astros: Odds, picks and betting tips

Oct 4, 2019; Los Angeles, CA; Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer. (Photo Credit: Robert Hanashiro - Paste BN Staff)

Odds via BetMGM; access Paste BN Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 6:30 a.m. ET.

Moneyline : Scherzer at +170 is too good to pass up, making the NATIONALS the STRONGEST PLAY. As good as Cole has been, the Astros ( -209) are just too pricey, especially against a resilient NL champion.

New to sports betting? Bet $10 to win $17 on Washington. Every $1 wagered would profit $1.70 if the Nats win.

Run line : AVOID. Both teams' run line records rank among the best in MLB. The Nationals ( +1.5, -134) are second vs. the RL overall (98-74) and fourth vs. the RL on the road (52-34), while the Astros ( -1.5, +110) are fifth overall vs. the RL (93-80) and second vs. the RL at home (49-38).

Over/Under : Don't let the low number scare you. The UNDER 6.5 ( +105) is the play. The Nationals are 1-6 O/U in Scherzer's last seven starts - four games finishing with six runs or less. The Astros are 1-5-1 O/U in Cole's last seven starts with all five UNDERS finishing with five runs or less. The OVER is -129.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Johnny's MLB postseason strongest plays: 6-4.

October's strongest plays: 10-6.

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