Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction for Sunday September 6 2026

The Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers close their three-game series Sunday night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 PM ET on September 6 with MLB.TV carrying the game. Washington enters at 67-76 overall and 34-36 on the road, while Los Angeles is 84-57 overall and 42-28 at home. The Nationals sit fourth in the NL East, 18 games behind Atlanta, while the Dodgers lead the NL West by 10 games. Los Angeles won Friday's series opener 5-3 and enters the weekend on a two-game winning streak. ESPN Analytics gives the Dodgers a 60.3% chance of winning compared with 39.7% for Washington. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Before making your Sunday wagers, check out our free MLB picks for more baseball predictions and betting analysis.

Starting Pitchers

Washington is scheduled to start Andrew Alvarez, who enters at 2-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 1.31 WHIP through 90.2 innings. Alvarez has allowed 78 hits and 41 walks while recording 86 strikeouts and surrendering only five home runs. Los Angeles has not announced its starting pitcher for Sunday's series finale. That uncertainty makes Washington's known starting matchup difficult to compare directly, but Alvarez has provided respectable run prevention despite his 2-6 record. His ability to limit home runs could be particularly important against a Los Angeles offense that has produced a .420 slugging percentage this season.

Washington Needs Its Offense to Keep Pace

Washington enters Sunday at 67-76 overall and 34-36 away from home. The Nationals have dropped three of their last five completed games and enter the weekend on a two-game losing streak after Friday's 5-3 defeat at Dodger Stadium. Their recent results have been uneven, with Washington scoring nine runs in consecutive victories before managing only three combined runs over its next two games. The Nationals have remained competitive away from home, but they now face a Los Angeles club that has won 42 of its 70 home games.

Washington's offense has produced some surprisingly strong numbers despite the losing record. The Nationals are batting .248 with 1,212 hits, 738 runs and 193 home runs while posting a .325 on-base percentage and .429 slugging percentage. They have actually scored 46 more runs and hit 21 more home runs than Los Angeles while also owning the better slugging percentage. Washington's combination of power and run production gives the Nationals a legitimate offensive path to making this game much more competitive than the difference in the two teams' records might suggest.

Pitching has been the larger problem for Washington. The Nationals carry a 4.69 team ERA and 1.39 WHIP while opponents are batting .255. Los Angeles is substantially better in all three categories, leaving Washington with very little margin for error if its offense does not produce. The Nationals have surrendered 28 runs across their last five completed games, including nine or more twice during that stretch. Washington's offensive numbers are good enough to challenge Los Angeles, but its season-long run prevention remains the major concern.

Los Angeles Owns the Clear Pitching Advantage

Los Angeles enters Sunday at 84-57 overall and has built a 10-game lead in the NL West. The Dodgers are 42-28 at Dodger Stadium and have won three of their last five completed games, including consecutive victories entering Saturday. They defeated Washington 5-3 in Friday's opener after finishing their previous series with a 3-2 victory. Los Angeles has not been dominant recently, but its combination of a strong home record and commanding position in the division makes it the more dependable team in this matchup.

The Dodgers are batting .257 with 1,220 hits, 692 runs and 172 home runs while carrying a .336 on-base percentage and .420 slugging percentage. Washington has generated more runs and home runs, but Los Angeles owns advantages in batting average, total hits and on-base percentage. The Dodgers' ability to put more runners on base gives the offense a different strength than Washington's power-oriented production. Los Angeles has also scored at least five runs in four of its last five completed games, producing 31 runs during that stretch.

Los Angeles separates itself most clearly on the mound. The Dodgers own a 3.69 team ERA and excellent 1.16 WHIP while opponents are batting only .220. Washington enters with a 4.69 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and .255 opponent batting average, creating significant gaps across every major pitching category supplied for this matchup. The uncertainty surrounding Sunday's starter introduces some risk, but Los Angeles' overall pitching performance has been substantially better across the season. That advantage, combined with a 42-28 home record, makes the Dodgers difficult to fade.

Washington Nationals vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction

Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers Moneyline

Los Angeles is the preferred side despite the uncertainty surrounding its starting pitcher. The Dodgers have the much better overall record, a strong 42-28 home mark and enormous advantages in team ERA, WHIP and opponent batting average. Washington's offense deserves respect after producing 738 runs and 193 home runs, but the Nationals' 4.69 ERA and 1.39 WHIP create a difficult matchup against a Los Angeles offense that has scored at least five runs in four of its last five completed games. ESPN Analytics gives the Dodgers a 60.3% win probability, and the season-long pitching difference supports Los Angeles on the moneyline.

Pick: Over 8.5

Over 8.5 is the preferred target number for Sunday's series finale. Washington has one of the stronger offensive statistical profiles in this matchup, producing 738 runs, 193 home runs and a .429 slugging percentage, but the Nationals have also struggled to prevent runs with a 4.69 team ERA. Los Angeles has scored 31 runs across its last five completed games, while Washington's last five have produced combined totals of eight, nine, 14, nine and eight runs. The unknown Los Angeles starter adds another variable to the run-prevention side of the equation. With both offenses capable of producing and Washington's pitching numbers creating opportunities for Los Angeles, Over 8.5 is the stronger total position.

Final Picks: Los Angeles Dodgers Moneyline and Over 8.5

This preview was completed before play on Saturday. Starting pitchers, betting lines and other game information are subject to change before the game begins.