The Washington Nationals host the New York Mets on May 20, 2026. First pitch from Nationals Park is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on SNY.
The Mets are favored by -126 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Nationals are +108 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 9.5 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Mets vs Nationals prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Mets vs Nationals Prediction
Mets vs Nationals Picks, Props:
- Bo Bichette Over 1.5 HRR (-220)
- CJ Abrams Over 1.5 TB (+115)
- CJ Abrams Home Run (+610)
Mets vs Nationals Odds
| Mets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +125 | 9.5 -115o / -105u | -126 |
| Nationals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -150 | 9.5 -115o / -105u | +108 |
Mets vs Nationals Probable Pitchers
| Zach Thornton (LHP, NYM) | Stat | Zack Littell (RHP, WSN) |
|---|---|---|
| Season Debut | W-L | 2-4 |
| — | fWAR (FanGraphs) | -1.0 |
| — | ERA / xERA | 6.10 / 7.73 |
| — | FIP / xFIP | 7.71 / 5.76 |
| — | K-BB% | 2.7% |
| — | GB% | 37.3% |
| — | BABIP | .239 |
| — | Stuff+ | 83 |
| — | Location+ | 96 |
Mets vs Nationals MLB Betting Preview
Nationals’ right-hander Zack Littell is set to take the mound for Washington, while the Mets currently don't list a starter for Wednesday following Clay Holmes' recent trip to the IL.
Littell enters Wednesday’s contest with an atrocious 6.10 ERA on the mound over his first nine outings in 2026.
The Nats’ righty is coming off several impressive campaigns in recent years, with Washington’s 30-year-old having finished four of his last six seasons with an ERA below 4.00.
It seems that regression has finally arrived for the Nationals’ right-hander as he prepares to face a Mets lineup that has finally started to find its groove at the plate.
Mets vs Nationals Pick, Betting Analysis
Littell has actually fared pretty well versus this Mets lineup as a whole, but has struggled mightily pitching against Mets’ utility infielder Bo Bichette, who has thrived in his 14 previous plate appearances versus the Nats’ righty.
The former Bluejay has smashed a double, a home run, and has recorded 3 RBIs across his prior encounters with Littell.
In a game where I expect runners to be consistently on the base paths, I favor targeting Bichette to exceed his 1.5 HRR mark ahead of Wednesday night’s divisional showdown.
While it is not definitive who the Mets will send out to the bump on Wednesday (Editor's Note: It will be Zach Thornton, who will make his season debut), I will still be looking to target Nationals’ youngster CJ Abrams in player prop markets in a game that should deliver many runs.
Nationals’ SS CJ Abrams is scorching to start his 2026 campaign, with the 25-year-old ranking inside the top-15 in baseball in regard to batting average, RBIs, and OPS.
Abrams is mashing at the plate with a .300 AVG, .532 slugging percentage, and also ranking third in the Major Leagues with 39 RBIs thus far.
Though we currently have minimal information about the Mets’ approach to their pitching staff ahead of Wednesday’s matchup, New York’s bullpen is really struggling.
Regardless, I expect Abrams to extend his hot streak at the plate and to further exceed his 1.5 TB mark in this NL East showdown. Also, I will be looking to back CJ to blast one out of the park in what is projected to be ideal ballpark & weather conditions in DC on Wednesday.
Mets vs Nationals Picks, Props
- Bo Bichette Over 1.5 HRR (-140)
- CJ Abrams Over 1.5 TB (+110)
- CJ Abrams Home Run (+570)
