Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals Prediction: Will the Reds Jump on Joan Adon Early?

Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals Prediction: Will the Reds Jump on Joan Adon Early?

The 18-34 Nationals travel to Cincinnati to take on the 17-32 Reds to kick off a four-game series. This one should be an absolute barn-burner! Jokes aside, even if it's two bad teams facing each other, that doesn't mean there isn't good value on a particular side. You can catch the first pitch on Bally Sports at 6:40 p.m. EST. Let's dive into my prediction, pick, and the odds for the Reds vs Nationals game.

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Reds vs. Nationals Start Time and Where to Watch, and Odds

• Date: June 2, 2022
• Game Time: 6:40 pm ET
• Where to Watch: BSO, MLB Extra Innings

Click Here for Reds vs Nationals Odds

Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals Prediction

Joan Adon gets the nod for the Nationals, and he has been one of the best fades in the league. Adon is the least profitable pitcher on the first-half line with a 0-9-1 record. Adon is coming off a quality start against the Rockies, where he pitched six scoreless innings in his best outing of the year.

However, aside from his most recent outing and his start against the Diamondbacks on April 19th, he has been pretty awful. Adon has a 6.87 road ERA with a 1.78 WHIP, and the Nationals have lost every start behind Adon on the road. Sadly, Adon also shouldn't rely on too much run support his way tonight.

Graham Ashcraft has had a very short MLB Career with only two starts under his belt, but he has looked impressive over those 10.2 combined innings. His two starts were against two of the stronger lineups in the league, the Giants and Blue Jays, and he held his own with only two earned runs over the two starts for a 1.69 ERA. The Reds also won both of those games, and that's impressive considering they're 17-32, and they were playing over .500 teams.

This isn't beginner's luck, either. Ashcraft was dominant in the minor leagues, and just this year, before being called up, Ashcraft had a 1.65 ERA in AAA with seven starts and 32.2 total innings. Ashcraft throws nasty stuff, and his cutter has an average velocity of 98 mph, which has created a lot of awkward swings and has helped him attain his sub-two ERA.

Joan Adon has been horrible, and the Reds are surprisingly one of the best teams offensive at home with a .257 batting average, sixth in the league. Despite a rough 3-18 start in April, the Reds have really started to turn it around and are 14-10 in their last 24 games. Adon is 0-9-1 on the first-half line, and I'm backing the Reds to make it 0-10-1 tonight.

Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals Pick

Pick: 2U Reds F5 ML (-140) (Bet $140 to win $100)

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