Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals Preview
There appears to be a chance of light rain in Chicago on Friday, as the Nationals and Cubs are set to face off at Wrigley Field. First pitch is set for 2:20 PM ET, and MARQ is carrying this game on TV.
The Cubs are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -173 compared to the Nationals at +146. Washington will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak, as they are 68-85. Chicago is second in the NL Central, while the Nationals are 4th in the NL East. Jameson Taillon is set to start for the Cubs, while the Nationals are going with Trevor Williams.
Check out BetCoco for Chicago Cubs – Washington Nationals odds
Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals Trends and Key Stats
- The Nationals are 0-5 in their five most recent road games, including a 2-3 runline record.
- The Cubs, on the other hand, have played five home games recently, during which they have recorded a 2-3 (SU) and 2-3 record.
- As the favorite, the Cubs are 5-5 over their last ten games, including going 4-6 vs. the runline.
- Looking at the Nationals’ previous ten games as the underdog they are 3-7 straight-up and 5-5 vs. the runline.
It was a wild finish to the most recent game of this Cubs vs Nationals series. Chicago went into the matchup as -182 favorites and squeaked out a 7-6 win. The Nationals had a late rally, scoring three runs in the 6th and another two in the 7th, but could only muster one run in the 9th.
Washington actually outhit the Cubs in the game 13 to 12. Both teams had one home run, and the Cubs struck out six times compared to eight for the Nationals. Chicago also had a higher batting average with runners in scoring position, hitting .333 compared to .308 for Washington.
Javier Assad got the win for the Cubs, going five innings and giving up three earned runs. He finished the game with just one strikeout and allowed one home run. Ethan Roberts came out of the bullpen for the win, and Porter Hodge got the save.
Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals Prediction
Washington comes into today’s game vs. the Cubs having dropped four straight games, and they are 23 games below .500 at 68-85. In the NL East, they are in 4th place, and they trail the Phillies by 23 games. So far, they are 23-26 in divisional games this year.
At home, the Nationals are 36-39 and 32-46 on the road. As the underdog, the Nationals are 53-72 this year, and they are 15-13 when favored. Washington’s overall series record is 19-24-6, and they are currently losing this series vs. the Cubs.
The Nationals have been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 85-68 overall. However, they have been better on the road, where they are 45-33 against the run line. As the underdog, they are 72-53 against the run line. Their average run differential is -0.7 runs per game, but they have been better on the run line in their wins, with an average run differential of +3.3 runs per game.
Washington is on the road against the Cubs today, and the over/under line is set at 9 runs. The combined run average in Nationals games this season is 8.9, and their over/under record is 73-74. When the over/under line is set at 9 runs, their record is 14-19-4. So far this season, 22 of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 9 runs, which accounts for 14.4% of their games. Their over streak is at 3 games.
Washington is sending Trevor Williams to the mound today, and he comes into the game with a record of 5-0 and an ERA of 2.22. Williams has made 11 starts this year and has pitched well, with his last outing coming on May 30th. In that start, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up just one earned run on four hits. Williams finished with the win in that outing. Looking back at his last four starts, Williams has finished with a no-decision in three straight outings. He has a total of five no-decisions this year.
Washington’s offense is 23rd in the league in scoring, averaging 4.1 runs per game. They have been a below-average home run hitting team this season and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of isolated power. As a team, the Nationals are batting .243, which is 12th in the MLB.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. are the Nationals’ top two home run hitters this season, and they are also 1-2 in terms of RBIs. Abrams is batting .247 for the season and has gone 7/11 in his last three games. He is also on a five-game hitting streak. Garcia Jr. comes into the game with a batting average of .280.
Chicago is 78-75 overall, and they are 10 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Cubs are also 21-28 in divisional games this year. Chicago is hosting the Nationals today and are 40-35 at home compared to 38-40 on the road.
So far, the Cubs have gone 41-37 as the favorite and 37-38 as the underdog. They have dropped two straight series and are 21-25-3 in series this year. Chicago’s overall series record is 1-0, as they are up 1-0 on the Nationals heading into today’s game. The Cubs have been .500 over their last 10 games.
When it comes to the run line, the Cubs have been a better bet on the road this season, going 46-32 compared to 28-47 at home. They’ve been an underdog in more games than they’ve been a favorite, and they’ve been a good bet as an underdog, going 49-26 against the run line. Their average run differential for the season is +0.4 runs per game, and they’ve been outscored by 0.3 runs per game on the road and outscored opponents by 0.5 runs per game at home.
The Chicago Cubs are playing at home against the Washington Nationals today, and the over/under line for the game is set at 9 runs. The Cubs’ games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 73-75. When the over/under line is set at 9 runs, their record is 7-12-3. Overall, only 14.4% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs or higher, and their games have gone over the line in their last two outings.
Chicago is sending Jameson Taillon to the mound today vs. the Nationals. The right-hander has made 26 starts this season and has a record of 10-8 with an ERA of 3.54. So far, Taillon has turned in 14 quality starts and is averaging 7.03 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Taillon finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Taillon has been much better at home, coming in with a 2.80 ERA compared to 4.86 on the road.
Heading into today’s game, the Cubs are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per game. In terms of home runs, the Cubs are just 18th in the league and have a team batting average of .244, which is 11th in the league.
Seiya Suzuki has been a key power threat for the Cubs this season, as he is 2nd on the team with 21 homers and is batting .280. Ian Happ leads the team with 85 RBIs and also has 25 homers. Happ has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/22 with three homers and eight RBIs over his last seven games. Nico Hoerner is on a seven-game hitting streak and is batting .270 for the season.
Our predicted score for this Nationals vs. Cubs matchup is 6-5 in favor of the Nationals. With the Nationals coming in as +146 underdogs on the money line, this is definitely the way we recommend playing this one.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Jameson Taillon finishing with five strikeouts compared to Trevor Williams with five as well. However, we do have Williams going just 17th in terms of starters’ innings pitched.
Offensively, we have the Nationals finishing with 11 hits compared to the Cubs with nine. And in terms of home runs, the Nationals are projected to finish with more than the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals Betting Tips
- We like the Nationals on the moneyline (+146)
- The Nationals are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Chicago Cubs Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Yency Almonte | Out | Shoulder |
| Colten Brewer | Out | Hand |
| Adbert Alzolay | Out | Forearm |
| Julian Merryweather | Out | Knee |
| Brennen Davis | Out | Ankle |
| Nick Madrigal | Out | Finger |
| Ben Brown | Out | Neck |
| Hayden Wesneski | Out | Forearm |
| Luke Little | Out | Shoulder |
Washington Nationals Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Williams | Probable | Hip Flexor |
| Alex Call | Out | Foot/Ankle |
| Mason Thompson | Out | Elbow |
| Luis García Jr. | Questionable | Wrist |
| Josiah Gray | Out | Elbow |
| Joan Adon | Out | Shoulder/Biceps |
| Cade Cavalli | Out | Elbow |
