Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction MLB Picks 9/20/24

In this article we will formulate a Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs prediction for this MLB game on Friday, September 20th at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. To formulate this prediction for game two in the series, we will examine:

• The Nationals’ recent form and recent player performance 
• The Cubs’ recent form and recent play performance
• Recent Betting trends and streaks involving Washington
• Recent Betting trends and streaks involving Chicago
• Recent betting trends in games played between Washington and Chicago
• A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for Today’s Game between Washington and Chicago

Washington Nationals Betting Preview

The Washington Nationals are 68-85 this year and they have lost four games in a row. Washington dropped the first game in this series, but they did score six runs. Prior to this series, the Nationals lost all three against the Mets, won three out of four against the Marlins, and split two games with the Braves. Washington is 4-7 in their last 11 games and they are fourth in the NL East. 

The Washington pitching staff has a 4.36 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and a .261 opponent batting average. The Nationals’ offense has scored 632 runs with a .243 batting average and a .309 on-base percentage. Luis Garcia is batting .280 with 16 home runs and 65 RBI’s for the Nationals this season.

Chicago Cubs Betting Preview

The Chicago Cubs are 78-75 this season and they have lost two of their last three games. Chicago won game one in this series by a score of 7-6 on Thursday night. Prior to this series, the Cubs lost two out of three against the Athletics, lost two out of three against the Rockies, and won two out of three against the Dodgers. Chicago is 3-5 in their last eight games and they are second in the NL Central. 

The Chicago pitching staff has a 3.83 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a .239 opponent batting average. The Cubs’ offense has scored 705 runs with a .244 batting average and a .318 on-base percentage. Seiya Suzuki is batting .280 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI’s for the Cubs this season. 

Starting Pitchers

The projected starting pitcher for Washington is Trevor Williams, who is 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP over 56.2 innings pitched this year. Williams has allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his last five starts but has been on the IL since late May. The projected starting pitcher for Chicago is Jameson Taillon, who is 10-8 with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 152.1 innings pitched this season. Taillon has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three straight starts. 

Matchup/League Facts

• The Chicago Cubs rank T7th in the league for triples this season (28).
• The Chicago Cubs rank 9th in the league for ERA this season (3.83).
• The Washington Nationals rank 28th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.261).
• The Washington Nationals rank 28th in the league for hits allowed this season (1373).

Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction 

Chicago was able to bounce back from their series loss against Oakland with a nice win in game one of this series, but they are just about eliminated from postseason contention. The Cubs are 40-35 at home this year, while the Nationals are 32-46 on the road. Washington is starting Trevor Williams, who started the season pitching very well, but is just coming off of the 60-day IL. Chicago is going with Jameson Taillon, who has had an up-and-down season but has pitched well in three straight starts. I think we are going to see a solid pitching performance here and I like the under in this matchup.