The Toronto Blue Jays host the Washington Nationals on April 2, 2025. First pitch from Rogers Centre is scheduled for 3:07 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on MLB.TV.
It'll be MacKenzie Gore on the bump for the Nationals, and he's coming off a spectacular Opening Day start in which he recorded 13 strikeouts. The Blue Jays will roll out left-hander Easton Lucas, so they will utilize the bulk of their bullpen.
Find my MLB betting preview and Nationals vs Blue Jays prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, injury reports and more.
Nationals vs Blue Jays Prediction
- Nationals vs Blue Jays picks: Nationals F5 Run Line -0.5 (+100)
My Nationals vs Blue Jays best bet is Nationals F5 run line. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Nationals vs Blue Jays Odds
| Nationals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +130 | 8.5 -105o / -115u | -130 |
| Blue Jays Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -155 | 8.5 -105o / -115u | +110 |
Nationals vs Blue Jays Preview
Washington Nationals Betting Preview: Gore Leads the Way
Gore is the staff's ace and will have to replicate his Opening Day start to give his club a lift. Gore's electric arsenal was always there, but he never seemed to put all the pieces together last season.
Gore struggled with his command, which led to many short outings in 2024. He finished with a 1.42 WHIP last season but is off to a terrific start in 2025.
I am worried that most books have his strikeout line at 5.5, which tells me he's due for a but of a letdown after his excellent start. However, it's important to note that the Jays are tough to strike out, as they finished bottom-10 in offensive K-rate in 2024.
Even if we don't see similar strikeout numbers from Gore, we'll finally see the polished version of himself in 2025. His strikeout and whiff rates were well above average in 2024, suggesting he was a misfortunate subject last season.
He allowed an average exit velocity of just 74 MPH and a low barrel rate to opposing hitters. If Gore can consistently keep runners off the base paths, the Nats have their ace of the future.
Meanwhile, Washington's offense will benefit from a bullpen game from the Blue Jays on Wednesday. That should help kickstart their bats, which have struggled in their first five games.
I'm not overly concerned about the offense here since there's a ton of young talent throughout the lineup. If Gore is sharp early on, I don't see a reason why the Nats can't build an early lead against the Jays' pen.
Toronto Blue Jays Betting Preview: Bullpen Game?
Bo Bichette's go-ahead knock lifted the Blue Jays last night. We all knew entering the year that Toronto's lineup was going to be improved, but its pitching remains a huge question mark.
With their lack of rotation depth, the Jays will deploy multiple relievers for today's matchup, which is why they're underdogs. They had the second-worst bullpen ERA last season, and they lost Jordan Romano to the Phillies in the offseason.
The addition of Jeff Hoffman helps, but Erik Swanson and Ryan Burr are currently on the IL. Hoffman most likely won't be available today, which means the Blue Jays will rely on their middle relievers for the bulk of today's ballgame.
This team has had solid offensive numbers against Gore in the past, hitting over .300 in 36 plate appearances. But I fear that last season's version of Gore is a thing of the past, which will make Toronto's life much more difficult at the plate.
As much as I like the Jays' lineup, I'm concerned that they won't be able to build a lead early with their shaky bullpen.
Nationals vs Blue Jays Prediction, Betting Analysis
I'm targeting the Nationals F5 run line here. Gore facing the Blue Jays' pen is a big advantage for the Nationals in the early going.
The Nats offense gets a boost with the soft matchup, and I think their bats should provide a couple of runs early on. That should be enough for Gore to hold the Jays' bats at bay, so I'm confident they'll end the fifth inning with a lead.
Now, I don't trust Washington's bullpen to hold a lead late, so that's why I'd much rather target the F5 run line. The F5 moneyline at -138 is a bit too steep of a price, so I'll take my chances by laying a half-run.
Expect a bounce back from the Nationals on Wednesday afternoon.
Pick: Nationals F5 Run Line -0.5 (+100)
Moneyline
I'm focusing on the first five innings in this game, but the F5 moneyline price is too steep for me.
Run Line (Spread)
My best bet for this game is for the Nationals to be leading by at least one run at the end of the fifth inning.
Over/Under
I'm staying away from the total here, but I lean toward the under.
Nationals vs Blue Jays Parlay
- Nationals -0.5 F5 Run Line (+100)
- Under 8.5 (-115)
- Vladimir Guerrero Over 1.5 Total Bases (+105)
Parlay odds: +969 (bet365)
This three-leg same-game parlay pays roughly 10-1 on our original wager, and there are a couple of leans I think are worth putting together.
The Nats offense should wake up a bit here, but I still don't fully trust them to hang a crooked number in a soft matchup. The Jays should be silenced by Gore early, so I think the game total should fall under 8.5.
Taking a look at some of the money angles for this game, 95% of the bets are on the over as of Wednesday morning, but some sharp money has started to come across on the under. I'll back the wise guys on the total.
Vladdy Jr. is 3-for-5 with a home run lifetime against Gore. It's a small sample size, but I'll happily take my chances here with his total bases prop at plus-money. He should also benefit from seeing the Nats' bullpen once or twice as well.
Nationals vs Blue Jays Betting Trends
