Brewers vs. Nationals Prediction, Odds & Best Bets: Will Wood Break Out of Slump?

Can James Wood to break out of his post All-Star slump and lead the Nats to an upset victory over the Brewers?

Mike Spector

Last Updated: August 1, 2025 10:49 AM EDT • 4 minute read

Brewers vs. Nationals Prediction, Odds & Best Bets: Friday, Aug. 1 — Pictured: Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood strikes out as we make our best Brewers vs. Nationals prediction. Photo by Matt Blewett via Imagn Images.

The Milwaukee Brewers begin August and open this three-game series against the Washington Nationals, with the best record in the majors. Our Brewers vs. Nationals prediction analyzes whether there is any value with Milwaukee’s -155 moneyline odds as betting favorites, or if Washington can pull the outright upset.

Washington’s All-Star James Wood has been in a slump since the All-Star break, but we expect him to get right as part of our Brewers vs. Nationals best bets. First pitch from Nationals Park is set for 6:45 p.m. ET (Apple TV+).

Brewers vs. Nationals prediction: Nationals to win (+130 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
Best Brewers vs. Nationals player props: James Wood Over 1.5 total bases (+155 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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✅ Brewers vs. Nationals prediction: Nationals to win (+130 via FanDuel)

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Milwaukee southpaw Jose Quintana just finished his third straight month with an ERA north of 4.00, and it is fair to wonder if the veteran would be in the team’s rotation if the playoffs began today. With Milwaukee's moneyline odds being so steep, I am backing a Washington upset with my Brewers vs. Nationals prediction.

Quintana pitches to contact, as he has recorded just 55 strikeouts over 82 1/3 innings this year. That is significant because, for as poor an offense as Washington’s is, it actually ranks just outside the top 10 in BABIP (.294) against southpaws.

Washington is a respectable 4-2 in Mitchell Parker’s last six starts, with two of those victories coming against the 60-win San Diego Padres in that span. Meanwhile, Milwaukee went just 2-2 in Quintana’s four July starts, with each win coming by one run.

Thus, I would not put anyone off backing Washington’s +1.5 runline odds (the best price is -125 at FanDuel or Caesars) as their Brewers vs. Nationals best bet. But I am taking a flier that Milwaukee is in for a letdown after its massive three-game series with the Chicago Cubs.

This becomes a more confident four-star play if Milwaukee’s best hitter, Jackson Chourio, misses a second consecutive game with a hamstring injury.

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✅ Best Brewers vs. Nationals player prop: James Wood Over 1.5 total bases (+155 via bet365)

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Is Wood the latest slugger to be a victim of a post-Home Run Derby swoon? Our best Brewers vs. Nationals player prop is hoping that a matchup against a pitcher with a low strikeout ceiling builds his confidence.

Wood is 6-for-45 since the All-Star Game, and has averaged three strikeouts per game over his last five. However, he is still making hard contact more than 40% of the time since July 1, and his .285 batting average against southpaws compared to his .251 average against right-handed pitching suggests he is due for positive regression against the soft-tossing Quintana.

Wood has gone seven games without an extra-base hit, but these +155 odds through bet365 are too good to pass up. That is tremendous value compared to FanDuel’s +115 odds (which carry a 46.51% implied probability) for him to record two or more total bases.

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Written by:
Mike Spector

Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”