Minnesota Twins vs Washington Nationals Prediction, 5/5/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Minnesota Twins vs Washington Nationals

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Location: Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

TV: Nationals.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Minnesota (-130) Washington (+110)

The Minnesota Twins (15-20) are hitting the road to Nationals Park on Tuesday where they will attempt to beat the Washington Nationals (16-19). The line on this contest has the Twins at -130 while the Nationals are priced at +110. The over/under is 9. The pitchers who are expected to start will be Taj Bradley and Cade Cavalli.

As a team, the Minnesota Twins are notching 4.7 runs/g, which ranks them 10th in the league. They have earned 165 runs while holding a team OBP of .326. The Twins have recorded 44 two-baggers as a team and have smacked 40 balls out of the stadium. They have tallied 158 runs batted in and 274 hits so far this year, while their batting average is .235. Minnesota has a slugging % of .381 and have been called out on strikes 305 times, while taking a walk on 141 occasions.

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The Twins have an earned run average of 4.46 for the year (20th in the league), and their staff has struck out 266 batters. Twins pitchers have conceded 33 long balls and 170 runs (23rd in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 124 hitters and their FIP comes in at 4.24 as a unit this season. Minnesota has relinquished 296 hits (8.7 per 9 innings) in addition to 152 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.15 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.37.

The Twins relief pitchers have earned a save percentage of 54.5% and stepped onto the hill in 35 save situations. They have compiled 6 saves for the season and have not converted 5 out of their 11 chances to save the game. The relievers have inherited 51 runners on the campaign and 33.3% of those runners ended up scoring. Twins bullpen pitchers have come into the game with runners on 35 times and also have had 33 appearances in high leverage situations. The Twins have sent 115 relief pitchers to the mound this season. The relievers have recorded 24 holds for the year (7th in the league).

The Twins have turned 69.1% of balls hit into play into outs in their 2,763 innings, which has them sitting at 23rd in the majors. The Minnesota Twins have accounted for 921 putouts on the campaign, in addition to 264 assists and 18 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .985 which has them ranked 20th in pro baseball, and they have turned 27 double plays.

Bradley has taken the ball for 426 innings and is sitting with 454 punch outs so far in his MLB career. Bradley (22-28 record in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.60 while facing 1,817 batters during his time in the majors. His ERA is 4.67 (221 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.293. He has conceded 394 hits (8.3 hits per nine innings) with 157 walks.

Washington has compiled 37 home runs this year as well as 166 RBIs. They have recorded 56 two-baggers, while taking a walk 127 times and scoring 180 runs. The Washington Nationals have a team OBP of .319 and a batting average of .239 for the year. The Nationals hold a slugging percentage of .383 and they average 5.14 runs per outing (7th in MLB). They have struck out on 307 occasions (8th in baseball) and have a total of 288 base hits.

The Nationals hold a team WHIP of 1.449 with a FIP of 5.10 as a unit so far this year. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 7.60 (268 strikeouts vs 140 free passes). They are currently ranked 27th in baseball as a staff in total hits conceded with 318. They have allowed 52 dingers and they yield 5.61 runs per 9 innings (28th in baseball). The Washington pitching staff have yielded 197 runs so far this season while having an ERA of 4.81 (169 earned runs given up).

Washington relievers have an inherited score percentage of 49.0% out of 49 inherited base runners. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 36 times in high leverage situations and also on 34 occasions with runners on base. With 40 save situations, the Nationals have earned 18 holds and 10 blown saves. They rank 27th in the league holding a save percentage of 44.4%, and they have sent 118 bullpen pitchers to the hill this year.

In their 2,844 innings on the diamond, the Nationals have earned a defensive efficiency of 69.2% (22nd in baseball). The Washington Nationals have turned 24 double plays and have earned a fielding percentage of .976 (30th in MLB). The Nationals have racked up 329 assists, 32 errors and have a tally of 948 putouts on the season.

Cavalli (4-3 career record) has earned a 4.65 ERA while giving up 10.8 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.71 and he has faced 385 batters thus far in his career. He has surrendered a total of 43 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.575 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.6. During his career, Cavalli has surrendered 100 base hits while he has accumulated 84 punch outs in 83 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Minnesota (-130)

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