Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals MLB Betting Tips 5/17/2019

Friday, May 17, 2019

Nationals Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Cole Hamels vs. Max Scherzer

Willson Contreras and the Chicago Cubs (25-15, 1st in NL Central) go to Nationals Park on Friday where they'll take on the Washington Nationals (17-25, 4th in NL East). The Nationals open this game at -146 while the Cubs are coming in at +136. The O/U has been set at 7.5.

The Cubs have been a strong play for baseball wagerers, having gone 25-15-0 SU. The Nationals cover 40.5% of the time, going 17-25-0 straight up. The Nationals have been an awful choice for baseball bettors as a favorite, going 10-15-0 SU. Chicago has went 4-7-0 straight up as the underdog, so they cover 36.4% of the time.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Cubs have been a pretty good Over option for O/U MLB bettors, having gone 21-19-0.

The Cubs cover 52.6% of the time as the away team, having gone 10-9-0 straight up.

Important Washington Nationals Betting Trends

Washington is covering 40.0% of the time at Nationals Park, going 8-12-0 SU.

The Nationals have been a pretty good Over option for O/U MLB bettors, having gone 20-19-3.

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

05/15/19 1B Anthony Rizzo Back is questionable Thursday vs Cincinnati Reds
05/11/19 P Allen Webster Arm 10-day IL (05/11)
05/08/19 2B Ben Zobrist Personal is out indefinitely
05/08/19 P Pedro Strop Hamstring 10-day IL (05/07)
05/02/19 P Brandon Morrow Elbow 60-day IL (05/02)
04/12/19 C Victor Caratini Hand 10-day IL (04/12)
03/25/19 P Kendall Graveman Elbow 60-day IL (03/25)
03/25/19 P Tony Barnette Shoulder 60-day IL (03/25)

Key Washington Nationals Injuries

05/10/19 LF Andrew Stevenson Back 10-day IL (05/07)
05/08/19 P Tony Sipp Oblique 10-day IL (05/07)
05/05/19 1B Matt Adams Shoulder 10-day IL (05/05)
04/28/19 1B Ryan Zimmerman Plantar Fasciitis 10-day IL (04/28)
04/27/19 P Koda Glover Elbow 60-day IL
04/26/19 P Trevor Rosenthal Infection 10-day IL (04/26)
04/20/19 P Austen Williams Undisclosed 10-day IL (04/20)
04/02/19 SS Trea Turner Finger 10-day IL (04/03)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Cubs have a 25-15 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels has a 3-0 record with an earned run average of 3.08 and a WHIP of 1.07 this season. He has 49 strikeouts over his 49.2 innings pitched and he's given up 36 hits. He's allowed 6.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.79. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.92 and they have given up 113 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .224 against the bullpen and they've struck out 148 hitters and walked 81 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.6 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.2 batters per nine innings. They are 3rd in the league in team earned run average at 3.44. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 309 base hits and 140 earned runs. They have allowed 43 home runs this season, ranking them 27th in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 161 batters and struck out 373. They have walked 4 men per 9 innings while striking out 9.2 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.28 and their FIP as a unit is 3.97.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .255, good for 7th in the league. The Cubs hold a .448 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .346, which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 8.8 hits per game. Willson Contreras is hitting .303 with an on-base percentage of .410. He has 36 hits this season in 119 at bats with 25 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .605 and an OPS+ of 164. Javier Baez is hitting .322 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .357. He has totaled 55 hits and he has driven in 29 men in 171 at bats. His OPS+ is 149 while his slugging percentage is at .608. The Cubs have 350 hits, including 73 doubles and 61 home runs. Chicago has walked 175 times so far this season and they have struck out 361 times as a unit. They have left 295 men on base and have a team OPS of .794. They score 5.35 runs per contest and have scored a total of 214 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Washington has a 17-25 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.64, Max Scherzer has a 2-4 record and a 1.15 WHIP. He has 79 strikeouts over the 59.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 58 hits. He's allowing 8.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 2.24. The bullpen has an earned run average of 6.15 and they have given up 130 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .269 against the Nationals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 120 batters and walked 61 opposing hitters. As a team, Washington allows 8.8 hits per nine innings while striking out 10 batters per nine innings. They are 21st in the league in team earned run average at 4.72. The Nationals pitchers as a team have surrendered 360 base knocks and 194 earned runs this season. They have given up 47 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in Major League Baseball. Washington as a staff has walked 146 hitters and struck out 411 batters. They give up a walk 3.6 times per 9 innings while they strike out 10 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.37 while their FIP as a staff is 3.86.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .236, good for 23rd in the league. The Nationals hold a .396 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .308, which is good for 21st in baseball. They rank 23rd in MLB with 8.0 hits per contest. Adam Eaton comes into this matchup batting .275 with an OBP of .341. He has 46 hits this year along with 11 RBI in 167 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .383 with an OPS+ of 91. Victor Robles is hitting .257 this season and he has an OBP of .305. He has collected 39 hits in 152 at bats while driving in 17 runs. He has an OPS+ of 101 and a slugging percentage of .474. The Nationals as a unit have 334 base hits, including 59 doubles and 54 homers. Washington has walked 130 times this year and they have struck out on 413 occasions. They have had 279 men left on base and have an OPS of .704. They have scored 4.36 runs per game and totaled 183 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Cubs +136

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