Washington Nationals vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction, Preview and Odds - 05/27/2026

Game Time: 1:10 pm ET, Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Venue:  Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH 

Where to Watch:  MLB TV

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Nationals +163, Guardians -199; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Nationals +165, Guardians -195; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Nationals +165, Guardians -200; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Washington Nationals:  28-27 (2nd place, NL East)

Cleveland Guardians:  32-24 (1st place, AL Central)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Amedeus Mastrangelo is on a HOT STREAK in MLB on a 12-6 MLB RUN for +$5,890 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Washington Nationals:  6-4 last 10

Cleveland Guardians:  8-2 last 10

The Nationals are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 28-27 record overall and have a road record of 18-11. This is the series finale of a 3-game series with the Guardians on Wednesday with the 2nd game still to be played on Tuesday. The Nationals won the series opener on Monday. Their offense ranks 4th in the MLB with a .746 OPS. Cade Cavalli is their starting pitcher on Tuesday while Miles Mikolas is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 1-3 with a 6.17 ERA this season. His team lost their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 0 ER, 0 HR, and 0 BB with 3 SO on 3 hits through 5 IP against the Atlanta Braves.

The Guardians are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 32-24 record overall and have a home record of 15-11. This is the 3rd game of a 3-game series with the Nationals on Wednesday with the 2nd game of this series still to be played on Tuesday. The Guardians lost the 1st game of this series on Monday. Their offense ranks 19th in the MLB with a .693 OPS. Joey Cantillo is their starting pitcher on Tuesday while Gavin Williams is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 7-3 with a 3.25 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 earned runs, 0 homers, and 0 walks with 11 strikeouts on 4 hits through 8 innings pitched against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The current betting odds have the Guardians listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Guardians have looked great in their games this season with their 32-24 record overall which has them right at the top of the AL Central. They have looked good in their own ballpark too with their 15-11 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Nationals haven't looked great in their games this season with their 28-27 record overall, but that record has them right near the top of the NL East. They have been a better road team too with their 18-11 road record this year. The Nationals are 6-4 in their last 10 games and have looked good lately, but they have been really up and down for most of the year, hovering right around .500. The Guardians have looked great all season though and in their games lately, going 8-2 in their last 10. They also have a great pitching staff this year and they are going to have the edge with the better pitching matchup in this one. Williams is on the mound for the Guardians in this one and he has looked great this season. He is 7-3 with a 3.25 ERA and he hasn't been giving up many runs lately. He is off a great start in which he gave up no runs, something that has been a common theme for him, and the team has won 2 games in a row now with him starting. The Nationals are going with Mikolas in this one and he hasn't looked good this season. He is 1-3 with a 6.17 ERA and the team hasn't had much success with him. He is off a good start in which he gave up no runs, but that hasn't been a common theme for him this year and the team has still lost 2 games in a row with him starting. The Nationals have one of the best offenses in MLB right now, but the Guardians don't have a bad offense themselves and the Nationals haven't had good pitching this year. The best way to place a bet here is on the Guardians to win this game. 

Nationals Guardians Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Wednesday, May 27, 2026 (1:10 pm ET start time) is Guardians 5 Nationals 1.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks, best bets, and expert baseball picks today.  And if you enjoyed this Washington Nationals Cleveland Guardians prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily MLB projections and previews.

Washington Nationals: 165-215 (+6.8 units) on the moneyline in all games. 84-106 (+21.4 units) on the moneyline in road games. 134-180 (+19.5 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 or higher. 26-12 OVER against AL Central opponents.

Cleveland Guardians: 54-59 (-4.7 units) on the moneyline in an inter-league game. 29-38 (-5.1 units) on the moneyline vs. good power teams - averaging 1.25 or more HR's/game. 74-64 (-6.5 units) on the moneyline vs. a team with a poor bullpen whose ERA is 4.20 or worse. 17-9 OVER vs. poor fielding teams - averaging 0.75+ errors/game.

Washington Nationals:  M. Kranick (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. K. Waldichuk (SP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. C. Henry (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Shoulder. J. Gray (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. D. Herz (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. T. Williams (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

Cleveland Guardians:  E. Sabrowski (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. G. Arias (SS) Ten Day IL - Hamstring.

“It’s fun winning baseball games.” - Blake Butera after his team’s win against the Guardians in their game on Monday. 

“He got an MRI this morning. We don’t have the results back yet, but left elbow inflammation. We’ll know tomorrow in regards to the MRI as far as the specifics.”  - Stephen Vogt on the injury to Erik Sabrowski.

James Wood (L) DH

Luis García Jr. (L) 1B

Curtis Mead (R) 3B

CJ Abrams (L) SS

Dylan Crews (R) RF

Daylen Lile (L) LF

Jacob Young (R) CF

Drew Millas (S) C

Nasim Nuñez (S) 2B

Travis Bazzana (L) 2B

José Ramírez (S) 3B

Chase DeLauter (L) RF

Rhys Hoskins (R) DH

Kyle Manzardo (L) 1B

Angel Martínez (S) LF

Steven Kwan (L) CF

Patrick Bailey (S) C

Brayan Rocchio (S) SS

Batting Average:  CJ Abrams (.288)

Hits:  Daylen Lile (57)

Home Runs:  James Wood (14)

RBI:  CJ Abrams (46)

Stolen Bases:  Nasim Nuñez (22)

Wins:  Foster Griffin (6)

Saves:  Gus Varland (4)

ERA:  Richard Lovelady (1.72)

Batting Average:  Travis Bazzana (.292)

Hits:  Brayan Rocchio (49)

Home Runs:  Angel Martínez (9)

RBI:  Chase DeLauter (30)

Stolen Bases:  José Ramírez (20)

Wins:  Gavin Williams (7)

Saves:  Cade Smith (18)

ERA:  Logan Allen (0.00)

Managers:

Washington Nationals: Blake Butera (1st season)

Cleveland Guardians: Stephen Vogt (3rd season)