Nationals vs. Mets: Game 1 prediction, lineup, odds, injuries, and picks

The New York Mets are on the road to the Washington Nationals for a three-game series, part of a make-or-break 13-game stretch against divisional rivals until Aug. 31.

The Mets (66-58) remain second in the NL East and in the final NL Wild Card standings. They managed a series win against the Seattle Mariners after five consecutive losses.

The Nationals (50-74), meanwhile, are last in the NL East and drew a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies in their most recent outing.

Nationals vs. Mets Game 1: Betting Odds & Weather

Time: 6:45 p.m. ET at Nationals Park

Money Line: Mets -204, Nationals +168

Total Runs: Over/Under is 9.0 runs

Weather: Mostly Sunny, 71 degrees F, 34% precipitation, Wind 9 mph

Nationals vs. Mets Game 1: Injuries & Lineups

Injuries

Nationals

Josiah Gray: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Trevor Williams: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
DJ Herz: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Derek Law: 60 Day IL (Forearm),
Keibert Ruiz: 7 Day IL (Concussion)

Mets

Drew Smith: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Max Kranick: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Griffin Canning: 60 Day IL (Achilles),
Christian Scott: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Jose Siri: 60 Day IL (Shin),
Dedniel Nunez: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
A.J. Minter: 60 Day IL (Lat),
Danny Young: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Tylor Megill: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Nick Madrigal: 60 Day IL (Shoulder),
Jesse Winker: 60 Day IL (Back)

Expected Lineups

Nationals

LF James Wood L
SS CJ Abrams L
2B Paul DeJong R
1B Josh Bell S
C Riley Adams R
RF Dylan Crews R
3B Brady House R
DH A. Chaparro R
CF Jacob Young R

Mets

SS F. Lindor S
RF Juan Soto L
LF B. Nimmo L
1B Pete Alonso R
DH Jeff McNeil L
C F. Alvarez R
CF C. Mullins L
3B R. Mauricio S
2B Brett Baty L

Nationals vs. Mets Game 1: Expert picks and prediction

David Peterson (7-5, 3.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) gets the starter battle on paper against Jake Irvin (8-7, 5.14 ERA, 1.38 WHIP).

While both teams rank a joint 18th in collective batting average (.244), the Nationals' collective ERA (5.34) is the second worst in the MLB compared to the eighth-best Mets' 3.79 ERA.

Juan Soto and Pete Alonso hold the major batting records for the Mets, while those are divided between James Wood and C.J. Abrams for the Nats. Soto and Alonso have received some help from Francisco Lindor, currently on a five-game multi-hit streak.

The Mets should take this one with Washington as the underdogs.

Prediction: Mets 6, Nationals 5

Picks: Mets ML (-204), Over 9.5 runs

About the author

Nikhil Parshy is a baseball and ice hockey journalist at Sportskeeda, and after starting out as a cricket reporter, he has been an analyst with SK since November 2022. His interest in the sports were piqued a few years back after watching highlights on YouTube and he has followed the game ever since.

The Chicago Cubs breaking the 108-year curse in 2016 to lift the World Series remains Nikhil's favorite baseball moment. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been his favorite player ever since he started following the game, while the LA Dodgers are his favorite team.

As a writer, Nikhil maintains a strong attention to detail and rigorously cross-checks information. He seeks to strike a balance in his writing such that the regular reader gains an insight into player profiles, while also keeping in mind that the non-regular reader is not put off by jargon and shallow analysis.

Nikhil is an avid public speaker, and when not writing about baseball, he regularly participates in debates and quizzes.

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Edited by Bhargav

Nationals vs. Mets: Game 1 prediction, lineup, odds, injuries, and picks - August 19, 2025

Nationals vs. Mets Game 1: Betting Odds & Weather

Nationals vs. Mets Game 1: Injuries & Lineups

Injuries

Nationals

Mets

Expected Lineups

Nationals

Mets

Nationals vs. Mets Game 1: Expert picks and prediction