Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs MLB Betting Prediction

MLB Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction 9/19/2024

The Washington Nationals (68-84) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (77-75) on Thursday, September 19th. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MASN. Both the Nationals and Cubs are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 6:40 CT.

Nationals vs. Cubs Betting Prediction

  • Money Line Prediction: Cubs (-180)
  • Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
  • The Cubs have scored 6 or more runs in 8 of their last 15 games, indicating strong offensive performance.
  • The Cubs have a 5-2 record in their last 7 home games, showing a recent trend of success at home.
  • In their last series against the Nationals, the Cubs won all three games, scoring a total of 26 runs.
  • The Cubs have a higher league rank (9th) compared to the Nationals (13th), suggesting overall better performance this season.
  • The Cubs have outscored their opponents by a total of 20 runs in their last 15 games, demonstrating effective run production.

Nationals vs Cubs

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The Cubs Took The Last Game Of This Series

The Nationals will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Mets with a 10-0 loss. Washington was the +146 underdog on the road going into this matchup. Things really got away from the Nationals in the 4th inning, as the Mets scored nine runs in the inning. Washington’s offense scored their only three runs in the 2nd.

DJ Herz got the start for the Nationals and took the loss. He only lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up seven earned runs. Offensively, the Nationals had only three fewer hits than the Mets but scored zero runs. CJ Abrams had two hits and scored a run. The Nationals also had three other players with a hit.

Washington is 68-84 overall and has lost three straight games, all to the Mets. They are 23-26 in divisional games this season, and trail the Phillies by 23 games in the NL East.

On the run line, the Nationals are 84-68 overall, but have lost their last two road run line bets. Their games have gone over the total 72 times this season, and their combined run average is 8.9 runs per game. The over has hit in 19 of their 42 games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, and they are currently on a two-game over streak.

Patrick Corbin Gets The Start For The Nationals

Left-hander Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Cubs on the road. Corbin has made 30 starts this season and has a record of 6-13 with a 5.46 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Corbin has a WHIP of 1.49 and has given up a total of 23 home runs. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.2 strikeouts and 2.84 walks. One positive note for Corbin is that he is coming off a start in which he only gave up one earned run in six innings of work. He got the win in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in four straight starts.

Nationals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense has been average in terms of batting average this season, but they are just 23rd in the league in runs per game at 4.1. This is the same number they are averaging on the road and at home. The Nationals have been one of the better teams in terms of avoiding strikeouts this season, but they are just 25th in the league in walks. As a team, they are just 25th in home runs.

CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. have been the Nationals’ top power threats this season, as they are 1st and 2nd on the team in home runs, respectively. Abrams is just a .242 hitter this season, but he does have 20 homers. Garcia Jr. has a better average at .280 and is on a 4-game hitting streak. Over his last nine games, James Wood is batting just .206 with two homers.

The Cubs Took The Last Game Of This Series

The Cubs will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Athletics with a 5-3 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 9th inning before the Athletics scored two runs in the top of the 9th. Chicago was the -180 favorite at home going into the game.

Justin Steele got the start for the Cubs and was excellent, going 2 2/3 innings, and didn’t give up a run. He also issued just one walk and struck out three Athletics batters. However, the Cubs couldn’t close things out, and Nate Pearson took the loss out of the bullpen. The Cubs also wasted a big game from Nico Hoerner, who went 2/3 with a run scored.

Chicago’s overall series record this season is 21-25-3, and they have lost two straight series. The Cubs are 77-75 and trail the Brewers by 11 games in the NL Central and are also 11 games behind the Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot.

As underdogs, the Cubs have been strong against the run line with a 49-26 record, but as favorites, they are just 25-52. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game, resulting in a 72-75 over/under record for the season. In games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the over has hit 17 times and the under 14 times, with 44 games having that total, making up 28.9% of their matchups.

Javier Assad Gets The Start For The Cubs

Through 27 starts, Javier Assad has a record of 7-5 and an ERA of 3.27 for the Cubs. He most recently faced the Rockies, where he finished with a no-decision. In that outing, he gave up four earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One of those wins came against the Nationals, where he gave up two earned runs in six innings of work. For the season, opponents are batting .242 off Assad. He has made six quality starts this year and is averaging 7.58 strikeouts per nine innings.

Cubs Offense Breakdown

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Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ are currently the top power threats in the Cubs lineup, as Happ has a team-high 25 homers and Suzuki is right behind him with 20. Happ also leads the team with 85 RBIs, while Suzuki is 4th with 68. Suzuki comes into the game on a 9-game hitting streak and is batting .278 for the season. Nico Hoerner has been hot of late, going 11/24 in his last six games and is batting .270 for the season.

As a team, the Cubs are averaging 4.6 runs per game and have been even better on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per contest. Overall, they are 12th in the league in scoring. The Cubs are 17th in home runs and have a team batting average of .243.

Nationals vs Cubs Prediction

Our prediction for this Nationals vs. Cubs matchup is to take the Cubs to get the win at home. However, with the money line sitting at -180, we recommend taking the over, with the line being set at 8.5 runs.

Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Patrick Corbin finishing with five strikeouts, and for Javier Assad, we have him finishing with six. If you’re looking for a player prop bet, Assad’s strikeout total is a good option.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.