Nationals Total, Padres National League Best Bets for July 12

There are multiple games today beginning this evening on the National League schedule, and there’s value to target in these spots. Below, you can find both games from the National League and some of our best bets on the FanDuel Sportsbook.

Seattle Mariners (-104) vs. Washington Nationals (-112) Total: 9.5 (O -102, U -120)

The red-hot Seattle Mariners are set to visit the Washington Nationals tonight for Game 1 of a two-game series from Nationals Park. The visiting Mariners enter this contest with eight straight victories and a 9-1 record over their past ten games, while the lowly Nationals are 1-9 over that same stretch and have lost four straight contests. The Mariners have quietly started to show consistency after a mediocre two months to begin their season, and a lot is currently going right for them as they sit tied for the final Wild Card position in the American League. Going into the season, this was always going to be a difficult year for the Nationals, who currently hold the second-worst record in all of baseball. 

Even with a poor first half of the season for the Nationals, there have still been some bright spots for them. Chris Flexen will start tonight for the Mariners, while the Nats will counter with Josiah Gray. Flexen has been consistent for the Mariners, especially over the past month, while Gray has also been good over that span too. Flexen has a 5-8 record with a 4.00 ERA and 66 strikeouts, while Gray is 7-5 with a 4.14 ERA and 99 punchouts. Neither of those numbers might look impressive at first glance, but Flexen has allowed no more than three earned runs in any of his appearances over the last month, while Gray has only allowed more than two earned runs once over that same span.

With that, there’s value in the total set at 9.5, with the over sitting at -102 and the under coming in at -120. Even though the under is priced slightly worse than the over, that number is more attractive with how consistent both pitchers have been of late.

Best Bet: Under 9.5 (-120)

The San Diego Padres are set to visit the Colorado Rockies for Game 2 of a four-game set tonight from Coors Field. The Padres opened up the series last night with a 6-5 road victory and currently own the second Wild Card position in the National League. The Rockies have posted a 5-5 record over their past ten games, while the Padres are 4-6 over that same stretch. If the Padres hope to stay in the conversation for the NL West division crown, they’ll need to take advantage of matchups like this. San Diego has also been a dominant road team this year, holding a 27-18 record, which should intrigue bettors.

The second pitching matchup of this series should favor the visitors, which has been a problem for the Rockies all season. In addition, playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark doesn’t help the home side. Game 2 will feature Mike Clevinger of the Padres taking on Austin Gomber of the Rockies. Clevinger has been consistent in the rotation for the Padres, posting a 2-1 record with a 3.34 ERA and 36 strikeouts. There hasn’t been much to like about Gomber when he’s taken the hill for the Rockies, owning a 4-7 record with 6.46 ERA and 59 strikeouts. The Padres also boast better numbers against left-handed starters and should get the proverbial Coors Field bump, giving them an even bigger advantage in this matchup.

San Diego isn’t a huge favorite on the moneyline at -142. That number warrants consideration, but there’s more value with the Padres on the run line at +105. In what should be a favorable matchup for San Diego, expect them to win by multiple runs tonight.

Best Bet: Padres run line (+105)