| MATCHUP | Chicago Cubs | Washington Nationals |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 70-50 | 59-62 |
| Spread | -1.5 -101 | +1.5 -120 |
| Moneyline | -159 | +148 |
| Total | Over 9.5 (-104) | Under 9.5 (-116) |
| Where | Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia | |
| When | Wednesday, August 12, 2026 | |
| Time | 06:45 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
Washington Nationals Preview
The Washington Nationals have a 59-62 record this season and are sitting in the 4th place of the NL East. They have a 26-35 home record and are coming off a 6-8 home loss against the Cubs. They will face the Mets and the Rangers next.
The Washington Nationals have a .252 batting average this season, .328 OBP and .440 Slugging percentage. Washington’s pitching staff has a 4.73 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. CJ Abrams is the Nationals’ best hitter with a .286 batting average, leading the team in RBI with 91, while James Wood adds a team-high 30 home runs.
Miles Mikolas (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Nationals, and he has a 3-9 record, 5.82 ERA and 1.38 WHIP.
Chicago Cubs Preview
The Chicago Cubs have a 70-50 record this season and are sitting in the 2nd place of the NL Central. They have a 35-26 away record and are coming off a 8-6 away win against the Nationals. They will face the Cardinals and the White Sox next.
The Chicago Cubs have a .250 batting average this season, .339 OBP and .418 Slugging percentage. Chicago’s pitching staff has a 4.07 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Pete Crow-Armstrong is the Cubs’ best hitter with a .285 batting average, leading the team in RBI with 72 and adding a team-high 27 home runs.
David Peterson (L) is the projected starting pitcher for the Cubs, and he has a 6-7 record, 5.35 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.
The Chicago Cubs @ Washington Nationals Betting Trends: August 12, 2026
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Jackson Kent Record this season: – ERA: –
- Home Record: –
- Last 5 against Cubs: –
Why the Washington Nationals will win
- The Nationals have won each of their last four games as underdogs against the Cubs following a loss.
- The Cubs have lost three of their last four games as favorites against the Nationals following a win.
- The Nationals have covered the run line in each of their last six night games against NL Central opponents following a loss.
- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last 10 night games at Nationals Park following a road win.
- The Cubs have lost the first inning in four of their last five games.
- The Nationals have led after 3 innings in each of their last three games.
- The Nationals have led after 5 innings in five of their last six home games.
- Probable Starting Pitcher: David Peterson Record this season: 6-7 ERA: 5.35
- Road Record: 4-3
- Last 5 against Nationals: 4-1
Why the Chicago Cubs will win
- The Cubs have won each of their last 13 games against NL East opponents that held a losing record.
- The Nationals have lost 12 of their last 13 night games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Cubs have covered the run line in each of their last eight road games against National League opponents after playing the previous day.
- The Nationals have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Nationals have trailed after 3 innings in six of their last eight games against opponents that held a winning record.
- The Nationals have trailed after 5 innings in seven of their last eight games against opponents that held a winning record.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Nationals’ last four games as underdogs have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Five of the Cubs’ last six games as favorites have gone OVER the total runs line.
- There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in each of the Cubs’ last six games.
- There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in nine of the last 10 night games between the Cubs and Nationals.
Washington Nationals Player Prop Facts
- CJ Abrams has hit at least one home run in each of the Nationals’ last three home games against opponents that held a winning record.
- CJ Abrams has recorded at least one hit in each of the Nationals’ last eight home games against NL opponents.
- Nasim Nunez ranks 1st in the league in Steals (40) this season.
Chicago Cubs Player Prop Facts
- Pete Crow-Armstrong has hit at least one home run in three of the Cubs’ last four games as favorites against NL opponents.
- David Peterson has recorded a win in four of his last five appearances against the Nationals.
- David Peterson has recorded five or more strikeouts in four of his last five appearances against the Nationals.
- Alex Bregman has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cubs’ last eight games against NL opponents.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong ranks 5th in the league in Steals (30) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Nationals rank 1st in the league for runs scored this season (649).
- The Nationals rank 1st in the league for home runs this season (174).
- The Cubs rank 1st in the league for on-base percentage this season (.339).
- The Cubs rank 1st in the league for walks this season (513).
Cubs vs Nationals Prediction
The Nationals are 4-2 in their last 6 meetings against the Cubs but are 1-3 in their last 4 meetings in Washington.
In this Cubs vs Nationals Prediction, the Cubs are coming as -160 road favorites. I don’t like the pitching in this matchup, as both starting pitchers have a combined 11.17 ERA and those are two deadly offenses. The Nats have the best offense in baseball and are even better against lefties, while Mikolas has also been terrible for the Nats with a 3-9 record and 5.82 ERA. Yesterday’s game had 14 total runs and I expect another high-scoring affair. Take the over 9.5 in this one.