Heading into game two of this National League matchup, it will be Jameson Taillon on the mound for the Cubs (43-50, 22-25 home), facing off against the Nationals (38-56, 23-24 away) and Patrick Corbin. Find out my prediction for today’s Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs game in Chicago.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS VS CHICAGO CUBS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Washington Nationals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Wrigley Field at 8:05 ET on Tuesday, July 18th

WHY BET THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS:

  • The Nationals will be taking on a Cubs club that is just 3-7 vs. the runline in their past ten games.
  • Over their last ten games on the road, Washington is 6-4 against the runline.
  • Jameson Taillon has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 5.74 over his last four starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

On a record of 38-56, the Nationals come into today’s game 5th in the NL East. When playing at home, they are 15-32 and 23-24 on the road. Washington has played in 31 series thus far, and have gone 10-19-2.

Patrick Corbin takes the mound for Washington with a 6-10 record. He’s made 19 appearances this season, posting an ERA of 4.89 and a K/9 of 6.13. His FIP stands at 4.92, while his OBP is .332.

Washington is looking to Patrick Corbin to lead them to another victory, following his impressive performance against the Rangers (7-2) in his last start. Corbin gave up only one earned run on five hits in seven innings of work.

Having gone deep 14 times in their last ten games, the Nationals are 6th in that span. At 4.2 runs per game, Washington is 23rd in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .260 while hitting a total of 83 home runs (23rd).

Jeimer Candelario has been a major contributor to the Nationals’ offensive success this season, leading the team with 14 home runs and 45 RBIs. His slugging percentage of .486 is indicative of his power at the plate.

WILL THE CHICAGO CUBS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Entering game 94 of their season, the Cubs are 8.5 games out in the NL Central and are in 3rd place. So far, their overall series record stands at 13-13-4. Chicago’s road winning percent is currently 45.7% (21-25) compared to 46.8% at home (22-25).

The Cubs will turn to starter Jameson Taillon, who has an overall record of 3-6. In 15 appearances, his ERA is 6.15 and his K/9 is 7.91. Taillon has also put together a FIP of 4.93 and an OBP of .323 this season.

The Cubs emerged victorious in Jameson Taillon’s last start, defeating the Yankees 3-0. The right-hander pitched eight innings of one-hit ball, allowing no earned runs and earning his fourth win of the season.

For the season, the Cubs’ offense is averaging 4.7 runs per game. Over their last ten games they have swung the bats well, sitting 8th in the league in scoring, with a total of 53 runs. Overall, Chicago’s team batting average is .247, putting them 12th in the MLB.

Nico Hoerner has been a key contributor to the Cubs’ offense in 2023, boasting a .267 average and driving in 48 runs. He has also hit five homers so far this season.