Cubs vs. Nationals Prediction
Will the Nationals hand the Cubs a loss behind a strong Max Scherzer outing when the teams meet at 7:05PM ET?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, the Nationals are -175 money line favorites versus the Cubs, who have odds of +145 to pull off the upset in D.C. With Scherzer set to face Jake Arrieta in the pitching matchup, the over/under currently sits at 7.5 runs.
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Latest on Arrieta via Rotoworld: Arrieta limited the Marlins to one run over seven innings in a win Thursday. The right-hander wasn’t overpowering, striking out just three, but he made up for it but scattering six hits without walking a batter. The only blemish was a Marcell Ozuna solo homer. The win improved Arrieta to 7-5 with a 4.36 ERA and 1.29 WHIP through 15 starts. It certainly hasn’t come easy for the 31-year-old this year, and he’ll try to string together a couple good starts when he faces the Nationals in Washington on Tuesday.
Scherzer carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning Wednesday in Miami but wound up taking a loss. Scherzer couldn’t corral a high-chopper off the bat of A.J. Ellis with one out in the bottom of the eighth, giving the Marlins their first hit of the game. T.J. Riddle followed with a groundout, but J.T. Realmuto reached on an error by first baseman Adam Lind, Dee Gordon drew a hit-by-pitch, and pinch-runner Jose Urena scored the tying run on a wild delivery from a fatigued Mad Max. Giancarlo Stanton then put the Marlins ahead for good with an RBI line drive to left field. Scherzer finished the afternoon with 11 strikeouts. He yielded just two hits and walked one.
Bet Tonight’s Cubs vs. Nationals Game
OUR PREDICTION: The Nationals have won 22 of Scherzer’s last 31 starts, are 5-1 in his last six starts coming off five days of rest, and are 4-1 in their last five home games versus an opponent with a winning record. On the other side, the Cubs are 1-7 in their last eight games after scoring five runs or more in their previous game and are 3-11 in their last 14 road games versus a right-handed starter.
TUESDAY MLB PREDICTION: WASHINGTON NATIONALS -175