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The Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals wrap up a three-game series on Wednesday. It's time to continue our MLB odds series, with a Cubs-Nationals prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Cubs have not enjoyed their trip to the NL East so far, after being swept by the Marlins, they took game one of the series against the Nationals. They fell in game two, as Alex Call delivered a two-run double in the seventh to lead the Nationals to a victory. The Nationals have won two of their last three, and have been playing well lately. They are 6-5 in their last 11 games, after starting the year 5-13.
Here are the Cubs-Nationals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cubs-Nationals Odds
Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (-115)
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-04)
Over: 8 (-115)
Under: 8 (-105)
How To Watch Cubs vs.Nationals
TV: MARQ/MASN
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 7:05 PM ET/ 4:05 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cubs Could Cover The Spread
On the season, the Cubs have the second-best batting average and second-best on-base percentage in baseball. Their slugging percentage sits third, and their 451 total bases sit sixth. The top of the lineup is leading them. They have the best on-base percentage from the top three spots in the batting order among all teams in baseball. The problem yesterday was not hitting. They got on base a lot, with eight hits and four walks. The problem was they could not score with runners in scoring position.
This is normally not an issue for them. The Cubs sit sixth in the majors in hitting with runners in scoring position at .284. Eric Hosmer has been leading that charge, hitting .412 with 10 RBIs in RISP situations. Patrick Wisdom went 0-2 with the runners in scoring position, and his average in those situations continued to plummet. While he has 11 home runs and 21 RBIs, he is hitting just .200 in RISP situations, with two home runs and 11 strikeouts. Leading the team in RBIs in RISP situations is Nico Hoerner. He has 15 RBIs in those situations, and when he gets on it can be an issue. Hoerner has stolen ten bases this year to lead the team.
The Cubs send Marcus Stroman to the mound today. Stroman started the season very strong, not giving up a run in his first two outings of the year. He gave up two against the Mariners, but then came back out and went six scoreless again. His last two starts have not been the same. Against the Dodgers he went just five innings, giving up three home runs and five runs overall. Against Miami, he went 6.1 innings but gave up two runs and was not a factor in the decision.
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
For a team that was potentially going to be the worst team in baseball, the Nats have been surprisingly competitive. They bounced back from the first game of the series to get a 4-1 win in which the Nats scored three runs in the seventh inning. Alex Call was the major player in that inning, hitting a two-run double. Call has been pretty good for the year. He is hitting .239 with an OBP of .345. He has driven in 13 runs while hitting two home runs.
There is not a lot of power in this Nationals lineup. They have only hit 16 home runs on the year, which is one of the worst in the majors. Leading the way for them in homers is Jeimer Candelario. He has four home runs this season but has also struck out 26 times. Victor Robles has figured out how to use his bat, hitting ..286. If he finished the season there, it would be his highest batting average since becoming a regular player on the major league roster. He went two for two in the win and has not struck out in the series. That is a major improvement for Robles, who has struggled with striking out. Robles is a plus defensive player, and now he is swinging the bat the best he has in his career.
Jake Irvin is going to make his major league debut in this one. The 2018 4th-round pick has been spending his year with the Rochester Red Wings. He has gone 2-2 in five games with a 5.64 ERA. That is well above his career average overall, but Irvin has quality stuff and it will be exciting for the Nats to see what he can do.
Final Cubs-Nationals Prediction & Pick
With Irvin making the start, three players are making their major league debuts on the mound around the league. This series has seen a split so far, but the Cubs did hit well yesterday. They were uncharacteristically bad with runners in scoring position. That will not happen two games in a row. Take the Cubs in this one.
Final Cubs-Nationals Prediction & Pick: Cubs -1.5 (-115)
