The Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs are in their series of the season, and the Cubs have been dominating so far. The Cubs have won all five games, including two to begin this four-game series. The Nationals have lost five consecutive games to the New York Mets and Cubs, while the Cubs have won four of their past six. The Cubs are falling out of the playoff race, sitting six games behind the last wild-card spot. It's been over for a while for the Nationals, as they are 24 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Cubs prediction and pick.
Nationals-Cubs Projected Starters
MacKenzie Gore vs. Kyle Hendricks
MacKenzie Gore is 9-12 with a 4.17 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP.
Gore's last start was at home against the Miami Marlins. He pitched 6 innings with 5 strikeouts, allowing 2 hits, 2 walks, and no earned runs. Gore hasn't allowed more than two earned runs since August 17th, five starts ago. He has quality starts against the New York Yankees and two against the Atlanta Braves over that span.
Gore is 2-6 on the road, with a 4.41 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
Kyle Hendricks is 4-11 with a 6.25 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP.
Hendrick's last start was on the road against the Colorado Rockies. He pitched 6 innings with 7 strikeouts, allowing 2 hits, 3 walks, and 1 earned run. He is in the worst season of his career, with his previous career-worse ERA being 4.80 in 2022.
Hendricks is 1-6 at home with a 5.15 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Cubs Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-180)
Moneyline: +120
Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (+150)
Moneyline: -140
Over: 8.5 (-120)
Under: 8.5 (+100)
How to Watch Nationals vs. Cubs
Time: 2:20 PM ET/11:20 PM PT
TV: MASN2, Marquee Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win
MacKenzie Gore could be the equalizer in this game to slow a hot Cubs offense. Gore hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in five consecutive starts and pitched a two-hit, zero-run outing against the Marlins in his last game. The Nationals must keep this game close to have a chance as an underdog, and Gore should put them in a position to do that.
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cubs' offense has been abysmal for most of the season, so they are nearly out of the playoff race. However, in a cruel twist of fate, their offense begins to get hot when it's too late. The Cubs are batting .290 with a .358 on-base percentage over their last ten games, averaging 5.6 runs/nine. The Nationals will struggle to keep up with the Cubs in this matchup, as they are batting just .215 with a .272 on-base percentage over the same span.
Kyle Hendricks is also beginning to turn his season around when it's too late. He allowed two or fewer earned runs in three consecutive starts, and the Cubs have won two of those three games. Their only loss was when they were shut out at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Final Nationals-Cubs Prediction & Pick
The Cubs' offense has been hot recently, but they can go cold at any moment. Gore has been pitching well for the Nationals and could shut down the Cubs in this matchup. The one concern is that both bullpens have ERAs above 5.00 over their last three games, but we'll hope the starters can go deep.
Final Nationals-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Under 8.5 (+100)
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