The Washington Nationals face off against the Seattle Mariners to cap off Thursday night’s slate of games.

MacKenzie Gore is in a position to thrive on Thursday night as the Washington Nationals pitcher faces off against a Seattle Mariners offense who struggles with making contact at a league average rate. With Emerson Hancock severely underwhelming on the other side of the field, the Nationals offense also have the opportunity to elevate their level of play and put together a productive outing.

Even though there are only five total games taking place on Thursday’s slate, there are plenty of prop bets to groom through which you can read a detailed breakdown of them below.

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Washington Nationals vs Seattle Mariners (9:40pm, EST)

MacKenzie Gore Over 7.5 Strikeouts (-125) at FanDuel Sportsbook

MacKenzie Gore has been dominant since the start of the regular season as the Washington Nationals pitcher currently leads the NL in total Strikeouts while averaging an ERA of 3.47 and a FIP of 2.81.

His success with creating Whiffs stems from his ability to avoid contact at a high rate as Gore also averages less than one Hit Against per Inning Pitched.

Against Seattle, Gore will have the opportunity to sustain his high rate of play as he faces off against a Mariners offense who struggles with making contact as their below league average mark in Team Total Hits indicates. Especially with the Mariners swinging aggressively with their bats as their offense also ranks eighth overall in Strikeout Rate.

Should more markets open up before their opening pitch, then look to place a wager on Gore to under on his Hits Allowed prop.

James Wood Over 0.5 Single (-125) at FanDuel Sportsbook

While Gore has thrived, Seattle’s Emerson Hancock has severely underwhelmed as the Mariners pitcher is currently averaging a ERA of 5.95, a WHIP of 1.653, and a FIP of 5.36.

His struggles bodes well for James Wood as the Nationals batter will be in a great position to generate Hits. As of writing, Wood is averaging over one Hit per game, a 0.287 Batting Average, and a 0.949 OPS.

Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies (Game 1, 1:05pm, EST)

Cristopher Sanchez Over 17.5 Outs (-115) at FanDuel Sportsbook

As of writing, Cristopher Sanchez is expected to get the starting nod for game 1 of the double header between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

Sanchez has been a reliable arm for the Phillies this season as he takes the mound averaging an ERA of 3.17 and a FIP of 3.44. While his WHIP is less than ideal, Sanchez makes up for it by averaging less than one Hit Against per Inning Pitched.

Fortunately for Sanchez, he will have the opportunity to improve on his WHIP as he faces off against a Braves offense who ranks below league average in Contact Rate, RBIs, and in Total Runs Scored. With the Braves struggling to score, expect Sanchez to play through the sixth inning and cash this prop.

Matt Olson Under 0.5 hit: (+135) at FanDuel Sportsbook

With Sanchez on the mound, Matt Olson’s struggles with making contact are poised to persist as the former Home Run leader averages less than one Hit per game and a Batting Average of 0.234.

Especially with the Phillies defense capable of limiting the amount of contact variance in the contest as their back end ranks fourth overall in Fielding Percentage.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros (8:10pm, EST)

Ryan Gusto over 14.5 outs: (-185) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Don’t let Ryan Gusto’s ERA of 4.58 fool you, he possesses more than enough arm talent to neutralize an offense as he also averages more than one Strikeout per Inning Pitched and less than four Hits Against per game. Especially with his defense excelling in coverage as the Houston Astros back end ranks top-10 in Defensive Efficiency and in Fielding Percentage.

Against Tampa Bay, Gusto will be in a great position to go the distance with his start as he faces off against a Rays offense who ranks in the bottom half of the board in Contact Rate and in On Base Percentage. Should the total on Gusto’s Outs prop climb up to 15.5, then pass on this market.

About the author

Kody Malstrom

Kody Malstrom is a professional sports bettor and sports betting journalist with six years of experience covering a vast majority of sports. He covers football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and the UFC in written and video form.

Born and raised in Michigan, Kody is a Detroit sports fan who spends all of his Sundays in the fall rooting for the Detroit Lions and Saturdays watching as much College Football as possible. In the winter, he shifts his focus to the Detroit Red Wings and Pistons while simultaneously rooting for his North Carolina Tar Heels.

When he is not staring at betting markets, you can find Kody at the beach or snowboarding down a mountain, depending on the time of the year.

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