Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction & Betting Tips 8/31/2024

Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Preview

Chicago and Washington are set to square off in an NL matchup at 4:05 PM ET from Nationals Park in Washington, DC. The Cubs are currently on a four-game winning streak, and their record of 69-66 has them in 2nd place in the NL Central. The Nationals are 4th in the NL East with a record of 61-74.

MLBN will be televising Saturday’s Cubs vs. Nationals game, and the money line odds have the Cubs favored at -129 compared to the Nationals at +109. The over/under line is currently at 9 runs, and Javier Assad is starting for the Cubs, while the Nationals are going with DJ Herz.

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Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs Trends and Key Stats

• Across their last five road games, the Cubs are 4-1. This includes going 3-2 vs. the runline.
• Conversely, the Nationals have achieved a 2-3 (SU) record and 3-2 record in their last five home games.
• Over their last ten games, the Cubs have a 7-3 straight-up record when playing as the favorite, along with a 6-4 record vs. the runline.
• As the underdog, the Nationals have gone 4-6 vs. the runline and 5-5 straight-up.

Chicago picked up a 7-6 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 2nd inning, scoring seven of their nine runs. As for the Nationals, they scored their final three runs in the 9th but came up just short.

Shota Imanaga got the win for the Cubs, going six innings and giving up three earned runs. He finished the game with eight strikeouts but issued a costly home run. Keegan Thompson got the save. Jake Irvin had a rough outing for the Nationals, taking the loss.

Cody Bellinger, Ian Happ, and Michael Busch each homered for the Cubs. Bellinger, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Dylan Crews each had two RBIs. Crews hit the game’s other home run.

Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction

After taking the series opener vs. the Nationals, the Cubs are 69-66 overall and trail the Brewers by 10 games in the NL Central. Chicago has won four straight games, and they have gone 8-2 over their last 10. In the NL Central, they are 20-26 when playing against other teams in the division.

At home, the Cubs are 36-29 this season and have gone 33-37 on the road. As the road favorite, the Cubs are 12-10 this season, and they are an even 34-34 as the underdog this year. Chicago’s overall series record is 19-21-3, and they have won four straight series overall and two straight on the road.

When betting on the Cubs’ run line this season, it’s been a good idea to take them on the road. Their overall run line record is 66-69, but they are 41-29 on the road. They have a positive run differential both home and away, but they have been a better bet on the road. They are 46-22 against the run line as an underdog this season.

The Cubs have been involved in high-scoring games lately, as they have hit the over in four straight contests. Their games have averaged 8.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 62-68. When the over/under line is set at 9 runs, they have gone 5-11-3. The Cubs have played in 18 games with over/under lines set at 9 runs this season, which accounts for 13.3% of their games.

Chicago is sending Javier Assad to the mound today as he faces the Nationals on the road. So far this season, he has made 24 starts and has a record of 6-4 with an ERA of 3.15. Looking at his overall numbers, Assad has a WHIP of 1.34 and has issued 3.83 walks per nine innings compared to 7.65 strikeouts. Coming into the game, he has allowed a total of 15 home runs. In his last outing, Assad gave up three earned runs in seven innings of work, taking the loss. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

With a team batting average of .239, the Cubs are 14th in the league and are also 14th in terms of runs scored this season, averaging 4.5 runs per game. They have been better on the road in terms of scoring, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. Chicago’s offense is 15th in home runs this season and have been good at drawing walks, as they are 6th in the league in that category.

Over his last five games, Ian Happ has gone 11/22 for the Cubs, but he has not gone deep during that stretch. Happ is the team’s leader in RBIs this season and is also 2nd on the team in home runs. Happ is also on a five-game hitting streak. Nico Hoerner is also on a good stretch at the plate, as he has a six-game hitting streak.

Washington is 61-74 overall, and they are 18 games out of the NL East lead. So far, they have gone 18-20 in divisional games. The Nationals lost the first game of the series vs. the Cubs and are 18-22-3 in series record this year.

At home, the Nationals are 32-35 compared to 29-39 on the road. As the underdog, Washington is 49-63 this season and 12-11 as the favorite. Their overall record includes a mark of 5-5 over their last 10 games.

The Nationals have been a solid run line bet this season, with a 77-58 record. They are 37-30 against the run line at home and 40-28 on the road. They have covered the run line in three straight games and have been a good bet as the underdog, going 66-46 against the run line.

Washington has played to a combined run average of 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 65-65. When the over/under line has been set at 9 runs, their record is 13-17-3. So far this season, 22 of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 9 runs, which accounts for 16.3% of their games. The majority of their games, 80, have had over/under lines set lower than 9 runs, which accounts for 59.3% of their games.

Washington is sending DJ Herz to the mound today vs. the Cubs, and he has made 14 starts this year. Herz’s record is 2-6, and his ERA is 3.84. In his 14 starts, he has turned in two quality starts, and his ERA at home is 4.06 compared to 4.95 on the road. The right-hander has allowed a total of 10 home runs this season. In his most recent outing, Herz went five innings and didn’t give up a run, finishing with a no-decision. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.

Washington’s offense has been pretty average this season, as they are 21st in runs per game (4.2) and have the league’s 11th best team batting average at .245. They are also one of the better teams in the league at avoiding strikeouts. However, they have been one of the league’s worst power-hitting teams, as they are just 23rd in home runs and have a collective ISO of just .133.

Luis Garcia Jr. comes into the game with a team-leading 63 RBIs and is 2nd on the team with 15 homers. He is also batting .292 for the season. CJ Abrams has a team-high 18 homers but is batting just .243. Over his last four games, Dylan Crews has gone 5/16 with two homers and three RBIs, while Jacob Young is hitting .412 with a homer and four RBIs over his last five games.

Our predicted final score for this Nationals vs. Cubs matchup is 6-5 in favor of the Nationals. Given that the Nationals are the underdogs at +109, we see there being a lot of value in taking them on the money line.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have DJ Herz finishing with seven strikeouts compared to Javier Assad with six. However, Assad is projected to go six innings, while Herz is predicted to go just five. If you’re looking for a parlay, you could look to take the Nationals on the money line and then look for Herz to go over his strikeout total.

Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Betting Tips

• We like the Nationals on the moneyline (+109)
• The Nationals are also our pick on the run line at +1.5
• Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over

Washington Nationals Injury Report

Chicago Cubs Injury Report