MLB Betting Odds: Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals (4-2) are coming off a successful six-game road trip to start the 2012 MLB season and will welcome in the Cincinnati Reds (3-3) for their home opener on Thursday afternoon inside Nationals Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:05 ET.

Las Vegas oddsmakers have established the Nationals as slight minus-108 home favorites, while the total has moved down a full run to 7.5.

Washington is off to its best six-game start to any season since returning to Washington, DC and comes in off a 4-0 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday.

The Nationals will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak to the Reds, but they did capture two of three meetings at home in last year's series.

Gio Gonzalez (0-0, 9.82 ERA) lasted just 3.2 innings in his Washington debut, surrendering four runs and seven hits in a no-decision effort, but the Nationals ended up winning a 7-4 contest against the Chicago Cubs on April 7.

The left-hander has enjoyed great success in daytime starts over the course of his career, posting a 17-8 record and 3.63 ERA, including a 7-4 mark and 3.24 ERA in 12 outings with the Oakland Athletics last year.

Gonzalez will be facing the Reds for just the second time in his career, allowing an unearned run and four hits over seven frames while striking out nine and walking one on June 21, 2010 in Oakland.

Bettors will find that the Nationals are 55-60 in day games since the start of the 2010 season.

Cincinnati snapped a two-game losing streak and avoided being swept by St. Louis in a 4-3 home win yesterday afternoon, as the offense clubbed a season-high 14 hits.

The Reds are 5-7 all-time inside this venue, but are 26-20 overall in this series since the Nationals returned to the nation's capital.

Mat Latos (0-1, 7.71 ERA) will look to put his first start behind him, giving up four runs and seven hits over 4.2 frames in a 8-3 home loss to the Miami Marlins on April 7.

The right-hander definitely has a chance to do better here, posting a 3-1 record and 2.19 ERA in four career starts versus today's opponent, including a perfect 2-0 mark and 1.42 ERA in two starts inside Nationals Park.

It's important to note that Latos is a discouraging 1-7 with a 5.79 ERA in nine career starts in April, as he's given up 11 home runs in 46.2 innings.

Cincinnati has won both games versus left-handed starters this year and is 55-45 in that situation over the last two-plus campaigns.

Weather forecasts suggest game-time temperatures in the upper-50s, with northwesterly winds of 15-20 mph (out to left).