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

The Washington Nationals (53-80, 5th in the NL East) will host the Tampa Bay Rays (64-69, 4th in the AL East) in a three-game interleague series over the weekend. Both teams have had mixed results in the lead-up to this battle.

The Nationals are currently on a five-game losing streak, and their losses in this period have come against the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. Before this streak, they won three games in a row.

The Rays put together a three-game winning streak earlier this week but have since lost two against the Cleveland Guardians. Before this week, Tampa Bay had lost four in a row.

Nationals vs. Rays Game 1: Betting Odds and Weather

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

Money Line: Rays -146, Nationals +122

Total Runs: Over/Under is 9.0 runs

Weather: Mostly Sunny, 77 degrees Fahrenheit, 0% precipitation, Wind 9 mph

Nationals vs. Rays Game 1: Injuries and 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),
Drew Millas: day-to-day (Finger)

Rays

Hunter Bigge: 60 Day IL (Lat),
Richie Palacios: 60 Day IL (Knee),
Stuart Fairchild: 60 Day IL (Oblique),
Shane McClanahan: 60 Day IL (Tricep),
Nathan Lavender: 60 Day IL (Elbow),
Alex Faedo: 60 Day IL (Shoulder),
Manuel Rodriguez: 60 Day IL (Forearm)
Ha-Seong Kim: 10 Day IL (Back),
Jonathan Aranda: 10 Day IL (Wrist),
Taylor Walls: 10 Day IL (Groin),
Jonny Deluca: 10 Day IL (Hamstring),

Expected Lineups

Nationals

LF James Wood L
SS CJ Abrams L
1B Josh Bell S
C Riley Adams R
2B Luis Garcia L
DH Daylen Lile L
RF Dylan Crews R
3B Brady House R
CF R. Hassell L

Rays

LF C. Simpson L
3B J. Caminero R
1B Yandy Diaz R
2B Brandon Lowe L
DH C. Morel R
CF E. Pereira R
RF Josh Lowe L
SS C. Williams R
C Nick Fortes R

Nationals vs. Rays Game 1: Expert Prediction and Picks

Tampa Bay's Adrian Houser (7-4, 2.88 ERA) and Washington's Mitchell Parker (7-14, 6.01 ERA) will face off in the starting pitcher battle. While this seems like a mismatch on paper, Houser has given away four or more runs in three of his starts since getting traded to Tampa Bay in early August. His counterpart, Parker, has given up four losses in his last five games.

The Rays have the 11th-best collective lineup average at .251, with Yandy Diaz and Junio Caminero being the stars. One other relevant statistic is that the Nationals have a high 6.46 ERA in their last ten games. On the batting front, C.J. Abrams has driven in five runs in this stretch for the Nationals, while James Wood continues establishing himself as a star batter for the team.

Prediction: Rays 6, Nationals 5

Picks: Rays ML (-146), Over 9.0 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 Saishyam Srikanth

Nationals vs. Rays: Game 1 prediction, lineup, odds, injuries, and picks - August 29, 2025

Nationals vs. Rays Game 1: Betting Odds and Weather

Nationals vs. Rays Game 1: Injuries and Lineups

Injuries

Nationals

Rays

Expected Lineups

Nationals

Rays

Nationals vs. Rays Game 1: Expert Prediction and Picks