Chicago is currently on a five-game winning streak, and they are 70-66 this season. The Cubs are 2nd in the NL Central, while the Nationals are 4th in the NL East. Washington comes into the game with a record of 61-75 and they are the slight home underdog on the money line (+109).
Today's over/under line is at 9 runs, and the forecast for Sunday's game in Washington, DC calls for temperatures in the mid to upper 70s with overcast skies. MASN will be televising this NL matchup, and the money line odds have the Cubs favored at -128. Sunday's starting pitching matchup is Jordan Wicks for the Cubs and Mitchell Parker for the Nationals.
Chicago vs. Washington Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Cubs at Nationals
- Where: Nationals Park Washington
- Date: Sunday, September 1st
- Betting Odds CHC -128 | WSH +109 O/U 9
Cubs vs Nationals Last Game Recap
Chicago picked up a 5-3 road win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a big 5th inning, scoring four of their five runs. As for the Nationals, they scored their final run in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Cubs were favored at -112 on the money line.
Javier Assad started for the Cubs and picked up the win, going six innings and giving up three earned runs. He finished the game with just four strikeouts and allowed one home run. DJ Herz struggled on the mound for the Nationals, giving up four earned runs in just 4 2/3 innings of work.
Nico Hoerner had a two-hit game for the Cubs, scoring two runs and driving in one. Andrés Chaparro hit the game's only home run while going 1/4 with three RBIs.
Cubs Preview
Chicago is on a five-game winning streak and has won four straight series, bringing their overall series record to 19-21-3. The Cubs are 70-66 this season and are 10 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. On the road, they have a 34-37 record, while at home, they are 36-29.
When the Cubs are underdogs, they have a 46-22 run line record, but as favorites, they are 21-47. Their average run differential is +0.3 per game, with a +0.5 differential at home and +0.1 on the road. The Cubs' over/under record for the season is 62-69, and when the total is 9 runs, their O/U record is 5-12-3.
Left-hander Jordan Wicks gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Nationals on the road. He has made six starts this season and has a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 4.18. Wicks' WHIP for the season is 1.46, and opponents are batting .258 off him this year. In his last outing, Wicks went just 1 2/3 innings, giving up two hits and two walks. He didn't allow a run in the outing but didn't go deep into the game. Wicks has issued at least two walks in three straight outings.
Heading into today's game, the Cubs offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .239, which is 13th in the league, and are 17th in home runs. Chicago's offense has been good at drawing walks this season and has a collective OBP of .315.
Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ have been the top power threats in the Cubs lineup this season, with Suzuki hitting 19 homers and Happ at 23. Happ's 76 RBIs are the best mark on the team. Suzuki has gone 9/24 in his last five games, while Happ has two homers in his last five games. Nico Hoerner is also swinging a hot bat right now, as he is on a seven-game hitting streak.
Nationals Preview
Washington is 61-75 overall, and they are 19 games out of the NL East lead. The Nationals have dropped two straight games and trail the Cubs 2-0 in the series. Their overall series record this season is 18-22-3.
Against the run line, the Nationals are 37-31 at home and 77-59 overall. The O/U record for Nationals games this season is 65-66, with an average of 8.9 runs per game. Today's O/U line of 9 runs is higher than usual, as only 16.2% of their games have had higher totals.
Mitchell Parker gets the start for the Nationals today and will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Yankees. In that start, he took the loss, going four innings and giving up two earned runs. Looking back further, Parker has allowed at least one homer in three of his last four outings. For the season, he has a record of 7-8 and an ERA of 4.26. Parker's ERA at home is 3.69 compared to 11.09 on the road. So far, he has made nine quality starts and is averaging 7.74 strikeouts per nine innings.
Washington's offense has been one of the worst home run hitting teams in the league this season, and they are also just 21st in the league in scoring at 4.2 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .245, which is 10th in the league, and they are also one of the league's best teams at avoiding strikeouts. So far, they have the 5th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Luis Garcia Jr. comes into the game with a team-high 63 RBIs, and his 15 homers are the 2nd most on the team. CJ Abrams has hit 18 homers, but he is batting just .243 for the season. Jacob Young and Dylan Crews are both on four-game hitting streaks, with Young going 11/27 in his last eight games, and Crews has two homers in his last five games.
Cubs vs. Nationals Prediction: Nationals ML +109
Our prediction for today's Cubs vs. Nationals game is to take the Nationals on the money line, with the payout being +109. We have the Nationals winning this one by a final score of 6-5.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Jordan Wicks going for the Cubs and Mitchell Parker for the Nationals. Wicks is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, compared to Parker with five.
