Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Odds, Analysis, MLB Betting Pick

Two teams that met in last year's National League Division Series will square off in the first of three games Monday as the Washington Nationals (35-20) visit the Los Angeles Dodgers (35-23) as small underdogs. The Dodgers return home from a seven-game road trip that saw them go 4-3 while the Nationals continue a nine-game swing through California on a 5-1 run so far.

Betting line: The Dodgers opened as -125 favorites (wager $125 to win $100); the total is at eight runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report.

MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 5.0-3.4, Nationals (MLB picks on every game)

Why the Nationals can pay on the MLB lines

Washington will be facing Los Angeles for the first time since dropping the NLDS 3-2 after holding a 2-1 series lead. The Nationals have won the first two series of their road trip and are coming off an 11-10 win over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

Lefty Gio Gonzalez (4-1, 3.03 ERA) gets the nod on the mound and has been a pleasant surprise through the first two months of the season. Gonzalez has picked up three of his four wins away from home, and he made one start against the Dodgers during the regular season last year, allowing one run and three hits in six innings to earn the victory.

Why the Dodgers can pay on the MLB lines

Los Angeles is 12-4 in the past 16 meetings with Washington, according to the OddsShark MLB Database. The Dodgers have also seen starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-5, 3.91) perform much better lately, giving up three runs combined over his last three outings totaling 15.1 innings with three walks and nine strikeouts.

Ryu saw his team win two of the three games, as he earned one victory and picked up one save. He has also pitched better at home this year, going 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA in four games.

Smart betting pick

The Nationals have been on a roll recently, but they were lucky to win their latest game after surrendering six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning at Oakland. The teams combined for 15 runs in the last two innings, so it would not be surprising to see Washington out of gas offensively in this spot.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles has gone 21-8 at home and played much lower-scoring games in going 8-3 over its last 11 overall. Look for the Dodgers to continue their dominance over the Nats in a low-scoring affair.

MLB betting trends

Washington is 5-1 in its last six games.

The total has gone over in four of Washington's last five games.

The total has gone under in four of Los Angeles' last five games.

All MLB lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.