Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs MLB Betting Prediction

MLB Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction 9/22/2024

The Washington Nationals (69-86) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (79-76) on Sunday, September 22nd. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MARQ. The Nationals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cubs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nationals. First pitch is set for 1:20 CT.

Nationals vs. Cubs Betting Prediction

  • Money Line Prediction: Cubs (-197)
  • Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs
  • The Cubs have won 4 of their last 5 home games.
  • The Cubs have scored an average of 5.8 runs per game over their last 15 games.
  • The Cubs have a 3-1 record against the Nationals in their last 4 head-to-head matchups.
  • The Cubs have outscored the Nationals 29-16 in their last 4 head-to-head matchups.
  • The Cubs have a higher league rank (8th) compared to the Nationals (13th) in the NL standings.

Nationals vs Cubs

washington nationals nba

Thanks to a four-run 6th inning for the Nationals’ offense, they cruised to a 5-1 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Nationals were at +117 on the money line.

MacKenzie Gore started for the Nationals and picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with nine strikeouts but issued three walks. On the other side, Kyle Hendricks got the start for the Cubs and took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.

Joey Gallo and Juan Yepez each homered for the Nationals, while Jose Tena scored three times and drove in a run while going 3/4. Ildemaro Vargas also had a two-hit game and drove in a run for Washington’s offense.

Washington has an overall series record of 19-24-6, and they are 4-6 in their last 10 games. They are currently 23 games behind the Phillies in the NL East with a 69-86 record. As underdogs, the Nationals have a 54-73 record, while their straight-up record as favorites is 15-13.

On the run line, the Nationals have a strong 46-34 record on the road and an overall record of 86-69. Their games have averaged 8.9 runs this season, and their over/under record is 73-76. The O/U record for games with a total of 7.5 runs is 17-10, and the total has gone under in their last 2 games.

Jake Irvin Gets The Start For The Nationals

Jake Irvin will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just one earned run in 7 1/3 innings of work. In that outing vs. the Mets, he allowed just four hits and issued one walk. Against the Cubs today, he will be looking to improve on his record of 10-12 and ERA of 4.07. This year, opponents are batting .237 off the right-hander. Irvin has made 31 starts this year and turned in 16 quality starts. His ERA on the road is 4.08, compared to 5.04 at home.

Nationals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 24th in the MLB. They have also been one of the worst home run-hitting teams in the league this season, coming in at 26th. As a team, they are batting .243, which is 11th in the league. The Nationals have been good at putting the ball in play, as they are 5th in the league in fewest strikeouts.

CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. have been two of the Nationals’ top hitters this season, with Abrams leading the team with 20 homers and Garcia Jr. right behind him with 16. Abrams is also hitting .246 for the season and went 7/14 in his last four games. Joey Gallo has also been swinging a hot bat, going 4/13 in his last four games with two homers and six RBIs. Gallo is currently on a three-game hitting streak.

Chicago has struggled lately, going 4-6 in their last 10 games and losing two straight series. They are 79-76 overall, nine games behind the Brewers in the NL Central.

Against the run line, the Cubs have been a better bet on the road, going 46-32, compared to 29-48 at home. As underdogs, they have a strong 49-26 run line record. Overall, their games have averaged 8.7 runs, resulting in a 73-77 over/under record for the season.

Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs

Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and is coming off a strong outing vs. the Athletics. In that September 16th start, he went 6 innings, giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits. He finished with 11 strikeouts in the outing. Imanaga has won his last three starts and has not given up more than three earned runs in any of his last four outings. For the season, he has made 28 starts, has a record of 14-3, and an ERA of 3.03. Opposing batters are hitting .221 off Imanaga this season.

Cubs Offense Breakdown

chicago cubs

For the season, the Cubs are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per game, which is the 4th best mark in the league. As a team, they are batting .243, which is 11th in the MLB, and are 17th in team home runs.

Over his last six games, Ian Happ has gone 7/26 with two homers and three RBIs. Happ is the Cubs’ leader in homers this season, and his 85 RBIs are also the best mark on the team. Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki are also near the top of the Cubs’ home run leaderboard, with five and 21 homers, respectively. Suzuki is batting .279 for the season, and Hoerner comes in at .269.

Nationals vs Cubs Prediction

Our prediction for this Nationals vs. Cubs matchup is to take the Cubs to win with the money line payout sitting at -197. However, with a payout of -197, we would recommend taking the over at 7.5 runs, as we have this game ending with a score of 5-4 in favor of the Cubs.

If you’re looking for some player props, Shota Imanaga is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is 16th among starters. As for Jake Irvin, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which ranks him 20th.


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.