Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs 8/12/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Wrigley Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Max Scherzer vs. Cole Hamels

The Washington Nationals visit Wrigley Field on Sunday, August 12, 2018 to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Max Scherzer for the Nationals and Cole Hamels for the Cubs.

The opening line for this matchup has Washington at -141 and Chicago at +131. The Nationals have a 48-65-3 over/under record and a 57-59-0 run line mark. The Cubs are 59-56-0 against the run line and have a 53-60-2 over/under record.

Valuable Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 48-65-3 against the over/under

The Washington Nationals are 57-59-0 against the run line

Important Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 53-60-2 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 59-56-0 against the run line

Key Washington Nationals Injuries

08/08/18 Kelvin Herrera Shoulder 10-day DL (08/08)
07/26/18 P Stephen Strasburg Neck 10-day DL (07/22)
07/10/18 P Sean Doolittle Toe 10-day DL (07/07)
07/05/18 P Erick Fedde Oblique 10-day DL (07/05)
06/12/18 SS Adrian Sanchez Undisclosed 10-day DL (06/12)
05/21/18 LF Howie Kendrick Ankle 60-day DL (05/20); is out for season
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)
03/26/18 P Joe Ross Elbow 60-day DL (02/21)

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

08/03/18 P Brian Duensing Shoulder 10-day DL (08/03)
07/26/18 3B Kris Bryant Shoulder 10-day DL (07/24)
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 10-day DL (05/23)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Nationals have a 59-57 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer has a 15-5 record with an earned run average of 2.28 and a WHIP of 0.90 this season. He has 216 strikeouts over his 161.2 innings pitched and he's given up 106 hits. He's allowed 5.9 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.72. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.67 and they have given up 323 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .234 against the bullpen and they've struck out 353 hitters and walked 119 batters. As a team, Washington allows 8.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.9 batters per nine innings. They are 9th in the league in team earned run average at 3.82. The Nationals pitchers collectively have given up 933 base hits and 440 earned runs. They have allowed 133 home runs this season, ranking them 16th in the league. Washington as a pitching staff has walked 328 batters and struck out 1,027. They have walked 2.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.22 and their FIP as a unit is 3.93.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Washington is hitting .250, good for 13th in the league. The Nationals hold a .413 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .329, which is good for 7th in baseball. They rank 15th in MLB with 8.5 hits per game. Trea Turner is hitting .270 with an on-base percentage of .342. He has 126 hits this season in 467 at bats with 48 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .411 and an OPS+ of 118. Bryce Harper is hitting .235 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .379. He has totaled 92 hits and he has driven in 71 men in 392 at bats. His OPS+ is 153 while his slugging percentage is at .500. The Nationals have 983 hits, including 191 doubles and 138 home runs. Washington has walked 432 times so far this season and they have struck out 930 times as a unit. They have left 827 men on base and have a team OPS of .742. They score 4.56 runs per contest and have scored a total of 529 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Chicago has a 67-48 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.38, Cole Hamels has a 7-9 record and a 1.36 WHIP. He has 125 strikeouts over the 125.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 125 hits. He's allowing 9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.96. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.35 and they have given up 349 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .221 against the Cubs bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 414 batters and walked 200 opposing hitters. As a team, Chicago allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8 batters per nine innings. They are 8th in the league in team earned run average at 3.79. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 928 base knocks and 440 earned runs this season. They have given up 119 home runs this year, which ranks 26th in Major League Baseball. Chicago as a staff has walked 476 hitters and struck out 933 batters. They give up a walk 4.1 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.35 while their FIP as a staff is 4.34.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .265, good for 2nd in the league. The Cubs hold a .422 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .344, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 2nd in MLB with 9.2 hits per contest. Kyle Schwarber comes into this matchup batting .244 with an OBP of .362. He has 80 hits this year along with 48 RBI in 328 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .470 with an OPS+ of 115. Willson Contreras is hitting .276 this season and he has an OBP of .364. He has collected 97 hits in 352 at bats while driving in 40 runs. He has an OPS+ of 109 and a slugging percentage of .440. The Cubs as a unit have 1,058 base hits, including 212 doubles and 121 homers. Chicago has walked 441 times this year and they have struck out on 955 occasions. They have had 897 men left on base and have an OPS of .765. They have scored 4.94 runs per game and totaled 568 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Cubs +131

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