Milwaukee is 8-3 and very much in playoff contention. They have a very good manager in Craig Counsell and excellent team morale knowing their management is constantly making moves to improve the team. One of those moves was picking up Gio Gonzalez, who had pitched seven years for Washington. The Brewers are sure to pick the newly acquired Gonzalez's brain about the Nationals.

Washington has a terrible manager, Dave Martinez, low morale and has been a major underachiever with a below .500 record.

Yet the oddsmaker has installed the Nationals as the favorite here because of a pitching matchup of Chase Anderson versus Stephen Strasburg.

Strasburg has the big reputation. But it's Anderson who has the lower ERA this season. Opponents are batting just .224 versus Anderson, who has a 2.97 ERA in 12 road starts.

Starsburg has really struggled when pitching at home going 2-5 with a 5.68 ERA. He is 0-2 with a 5.30 ERA in three lifetime games against the Brewers. Strasburg can't expect much help from a Nationals bullpen that has been depleted by injuries and trades.