Anyone that enjoys wagering on sports is always looking for some kind of edge and specialization could very well be your ticket to a higher return on investment when it comes to betting on MLB games. All season long I have focused my attention on the Washington Nationals with the theory that the more you know about that particular team the better you will be at predicting its results.

Doc's has been releasing these free picks for Washington once or twice a week with the use of their Unit Betting System. The ultimate goal of this project is to earn a respectable profit over the course of the entire MLB regular season.

As the MLB heads into its stretch run to this year's playoffs be sure to check Doc's homepage for these free Nationals' picks to follow along with my progress.

Washington Nationals Free Picks, Odds and Prediction

Wednesday, August 13, 7:10 p.m. EST (Citi Field)

Washington continues its series against the NL East rival New York Mets this Wednesday night at Citi Field with Game 2 of a three-game set. This division clash is slated to get underway at 7:10 p.m. (ET).

The Nationals got the best of it last week when these two teams met at their home park for three games with a 2-1 series win. Each team cruised to a lopsided victory in the first two contests and Washington pulled-out the series with a thrilling 5-3 victory in 13 innings last Thursday as a -160 favorite. The total went 'Over' in the final two games after Game 1 ended as a 'push'.

New York's slim wildcard chances received a boost with Monday's 5-3 victory over Philadelphia as a -126 favorite on the road. The Mets took three of four from the Phillies this past weekend and they are now six games off the pace for one of the two wild card playoff spots. The total has gone over in four of their last six games.

Washington at New York Betting Storylines

Washington continues to keep things interesting in the NL East title race with a 2-1 series loss to Atlanta this past weekend. The Braves had been mired in their worst slump of the year, but the two losses at Turner Field cut the Nationals lead in the division to four games. When the bats are hot lately they have been really hot with an average of 6.2 runs in their last five victories. However when they go cold it is like ice with just 12 combined runs in their last five losses. The net result is a 5-5 record in their last 10 outings.

The Nationals still have the second- best overall pitching in the NL with a team ERA of 3.14. Jordan Zimmermann is expected to get the start in Wednesday's game. The right-hander came away with a no-decision against the Mets last week after allowing three runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings of work. On the year he is 7-5 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.

The Mets continue to battle their way through this season with a batting lineup that is averaging 3.86 runs a game and a pitching staff that has a team ERA of 3.55, which are both ranked right around the middle of the NL. The biggest bat this season belongs to Lucas Duda, who leads the team with 64 RBI and 21 home runs.

New York will turn to Bartolo Colon as its starter for Game 2. The veteran right-hander notched his 200^th career victory last Friday by holding Philadelphia to just one run on six hits over eight full innings of work. He has made 23 previous starts this season with a record 11-9 and an ERA of 3.97. He has posted one the lowest WHIP's in his storied 17-year career at 1.16.

Washington at New York MLB Betting Odds and Key Trends

BetOnline has opened the Nationals as -125 road favorites for Wednesday night's Game 2 while New York is listed as a slight +115 underdog. The total for this game has been set at 7.

The Nationals are 21-6 in Zimmermann's last 27 starts in Game 2 of a series and 10-3 in his last 13 starts with five or more days' rest. The total has stayed under in four of their last five road games.

The Mets are 1-5 in Colon's last six starts in Game 2 of a series, but they are 4-1 in his last five starts overall. The total has gone over in five of his last six starts at home.

Head-to-head in this matchup, Washington has won 22 of the last 26 games played at Citi Field and they are 9-3 in Zimmermann's last 12 starts against the Mets. The total has gone over in six of the last eight meetings in New York.

Washington at New York Free MLB Picks and Betting Predictions

This should be a good matchup on the mound, but I think that in the end, each team's bats will have a say in this outcome as well. I have to give the overall edge to Washington with a three-unit play that it gets the win on Wednesday night as a favorite on the road.

Year-to-Date Betting Record: 9-10-1 (-146)

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Read more articles by Dave Schwab

Read more articles by Dave Schwab