Cubs Can Use a Win Against Nationals

Cubs Have Work to Do Against Nationals

It looks like the Chicago Cubs (82-57, +03.90 betting units) will win the NL Central again. Nothing is etched in stone with a month left. A win Thursday over the Washington Nationals (69-71, -20.98 units) would be most welcome indeed. TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBCS Chicago, MASN (Washington) Odds: Nationals are -110-moneyline favorites. The total is 8.5 Under -115. PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (11-10, 3.77 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasbourg (7-7, 4.09) Going into the season, this weekend’s series looked like it would be a pivotal one between pennant contenders. It turns out it’s a big one for the Cubs. The Nationals are barely clinging to their slim postseason hopes as the series begins. The Cubs hold the best record in the National League. They have a four-game lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central after a 6-4 win over the Brewers on Wednesday. Chicago has won 11 of its last 15 overall and took two of three from Washington last month. It helped to help sink the Nationals’ playoff hopes. Washington has lost five of its last seven to fall two games below .500. They are 7 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the NL East. The Nationals dropped the finale of their three-game series against visiting St. Louis 7-6 despite 16 hits Wednesday.

Cubs Have Slim Lead Over Brewers

Kyle Hendricks is on the mound for the Cubs. They try to increase their four-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in a tight NL Central race. The St. Louis Cardinals are 4.5 games behind. Hendricks has pitched well this year. He’s down 9.06 units on a team record of 14-14, with the Under at 19-9. On the bright side, Chicago’s recent bullpen improvements have helped the Cubs win six of Hendrick’s last seven starts. Hendricks has posted three straight quality starts. He has allowed three runs over 20 innings during that stretch. He held Philadelphia to one run over six frames in a win last time out. Hendricks tossed seven scoreless innings to beat Cincinnati in his previous start. Hendricks is 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in six career starts against the Nationals. Kyle Schwarber hit his 25th home run Wednesday. He joins Anthony Rizzo and Billy Williams as the club’s only left-handed hitters with multiple 25-homer seasons before age 26.

Strasburg is Still a Primadonna

Washington will go with Stephen Strasburg tonight. Strasburg has pitched better than his pedestrian ERA would indicate. He’s still not his usual All-Star self this year. The Nats have dropped eight of his 17 starts for a loss of 3.50 units. The Over is 11-6 when Strasburg takes the mound, spurred in part by one of the worst bullpens in baseball. Strasburg struggled in his return from the disabled list Aug. 22. He has pitched better his last two times out. The 30-year-old didn’t get a decision Saturday against Milwaukee. He held a potent Brewers lineup to two runs over six innings for his second straight quality start. Strasburg is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in five regular-season starts against the Cubs. Trea Turner (11-for-31) and OF Adam Eaton (11-for-34) are riding seven-game hitting streaks. PREDICTION: Cubs 5, Nationals 4

K Hendricks (11-10) ERA: 3.77

S Strasburg (7-7) ERA: 4.09

Bullpen

Chi Cubs’s relievers have pitched 9 innings in the last 3 games.
Washington’s relievers have pitched 11 innings in the last 3 games.

Chicago Cubs – K Hendricks

Washington Nationals – S Strasburg

Supergrid

Title	Stat	Rank	Stat	Rank
Away Team Overall Scoring vs Home Team Overall Defense	4.81	5	4.18	12
Away Team Away Scoring vs Home Team Home Defense	4.59	9	4.54	21
Home Team Overall Scoring vs Away Team Overall Defense	4.64	12	3.99	6
Home Team Home Scoring vs Away Team Road Defense	4.90	7	3.49	2

Head To Head Detail

MLB Betting Odds and Trends

Chicago Cubs
Chi Cubs is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
ChiCubs is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
Chi Cubs is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Chi Cubs’s last 16 games on the road
Chi Cubs is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington
ChiCubs is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs’s last 6 games when playing Washington
Chi Cubs is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington

Washington Nationals
Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games
Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games at home
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington’s last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

Chicago Cubs

Washington Nationals

Chicago Cubs

Washington Nationals

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