Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals 9/7/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Friday, September 7, 2018

Nationals Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jon Lester vs. Joe Ross

The Chicago Cubs head to Nationals Park on Friday, September 7, 2018 to take on the Washington Nationals. The expected starting pitchers are Jon Lester for the Cubs and Joe Ross for the Nationals.

The odds for this matchup have Chicago at -132 and Washington at +122. The Cubs have a 63-74-2 over/under mark and a 72-67-0 run line record. The Nationals are 64-76-0 against the run line and have a 63-73-4 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 63-74-2 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 72-67-0 against the run line

Important Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 63-73-4 against the over/under

The Washington Nationals are 64-76-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

09/06/18 RF Mark Zagunis Shoulder 60-day DL (09/04)
09/01/18 RF Jason Heyward Abdominal 10-day DL (08/31)
08/30/18 C Bobby Wilson Ankle 10-day DL (08/24)
07/21/18 P Anthony Bass Back 10-day DL (07/21)
07/19/18 P Brandon Morrow Biceps 10-day DL (07/18)
06/27/18 P Justin Hancock Shoulder 60-day DL (06/26)
06/24/18 P Rob Zastryzny Back 10-day DL (06/24)
05/26/18 P Yu Darvish Triceps 60-day DL (05/23)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Key Washington Nationals Injuries

09/05/18 C Matt Wieters Hip is questionable Thursday vs Chicago Cubs
08/21/18 P Tommy Milone Shoulder 10-day DL (08/20)
08/17/18 P Jeremy Hellickson Wrist 10-day DL (08/16)
08/14/18 LF Howie Kendrick Ankle is out for season
07/10/18 P Sean Doolittle Toe 10-day DL (07/07)
06/12/18 SS Adrian Sanchez Undisclosed 10-day DL (06/12)
04/21/18 P Matt Grace Groin 10-day DL (04/21)
04/19/18 C Jhonatan Solano Elbow 60-day DL (4/19)
03/30/18 P Joaquin Benoit Forearm 60-day DL (03/28)
03/30/18 P Koda Glover Shoulder 60-day DL (03/28)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Cubs have a 82-57 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jon Lester has a 15-5 record with an earned run average of 3.53 and a WHIP of 1.32 this year. He has 126 strikeouts over his 158 innings pitched and he's given up 153 hits. He allows 8.7 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.63. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.36 and they have given up 420 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .223 against the bullpen and they've struck out 489 hitters and walked 230 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. They are 6th in the league in team earned run average at 3.7. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 1,128 base hits and 519 earned runs. They have allowed 135 home runs this season, ranking them 26th in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 545 batters and struck out 1,133. They have walked 3.9 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.1 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.33 and their FIP as a unit is 4.17.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .263, good for 2nd in the league. The Cubs hold a .422 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .339, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 2nd in MLB with 9.1 hits per game. Anthony Rizzo is hitting .285 with an on-base percentage of .380. He has 138 hits this season in 485 at bats with 90 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .487 and an OPS+ of 124. Javier Baez is hitting .297 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .328. He has totaled 154 hits and he has driven in 100 men in 519 at bats. His OPS+ is 128 while his slugging percentage is at .572. The Cubs have 1,270 hits, including 249 doubles and 152 home runs. Chicago has walked 505 times so far this season and they have struck out 1,180 times as a unit. They have left 1,064 men on base and have a team OPS of .761. They score 4.81 runs per contest and have scored a total of 669 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Washington has a 69-71 overall mark this year. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.96 and they have given up 405 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .238 against the Nationals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 422 batters and walked 149 opposing hitters. As a team, Washington allows 8.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.7 batters per nine innings. They are 15th in the league in team earned run average at 4.02. The Nationals pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,144 base knocks and 557 earned runs this season. They have given up 175 home runs this year, which ranks 9th in Major League Baseball. Washington as a staff has walked 404 hitters and struck out 1,213 batters. They give up a walk 2.9 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.24 while their FIP as a staff is 4.15.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .253, good for 10th in the league. The Nationals hold a .416 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .330, which is good for 4th in baseball. They rank 12th in MLB with 8.6 hits per contest. Bryce Harper comes into this matchup batting .251 with an OBP of .386. He has 119 hits this year along with 89 RBI in 475 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .505 with an OPS+ of 132. Trea Turner is hitting .271 this season and he has an OBP of .340. He has collected 155 hits in 571 at bats while driving in 58 runs. He has an OPS+ of 97 and a slugging percentage of .413. The Nationals as a unit have 1,203 base hits, including 239 doubles and 165 homers. Washington has walked 514 times this year and they have struck out on 1,124 occasions. They have had 1,002 men left on base and have an OPS of .745. They have scored 4.64 runs per game and totaled 649 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Cubs/Nationals MLB game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Cubs -132

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink