Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Nationals Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Jason Hammel vs. Stephen Strasburg

The Chicago Cubs visit Nationals Park on Wednesday to play the Washington Nationals. The probable starters are Jason Hammel for the Cubs and Stephen Strasburg for the Nationals. The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at +135 and Washington at -145. The over/under was set at 7. The Cubs have a 31-29-2 over/under record and a 38-24-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 61% of the time. The Nationals are 33-31-0 against the run line and have a 31-27-6 over/under record. They cover the spread 52% of the time.

The Cubs head into this matchup with a 43-19 record, including 21-11 on the road. Starting pitcher Jason Hammel has a 7-2 record with an earned run average of 2.36 and a WHIP of 1.11. He has 60 strikeouts over his 68.2 innings pitched and he has given up 52 hits so far this season. He has allowed 6.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.68. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.20 and they have given up 122 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .204 against the bullpen while being struck out 168 times and walking 73 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 6.52 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.85 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 2.57. The Cubs pitchers have collectively given up 406 base hits and 163 earned runs. They have allowed 48 home runs this season and they allow 0.8 homers per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 180 batters and struck out 548. They walk 2.9 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.05 and their FIP as a unit is 3.34.

As a team, Chicago is batting .255, good for 13th in the league while putting together a .269 average away from home. The Cubs hold a .425 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .347 which is good for 3rd in baseball. They rank 13th in baseball with 8.63 hits per game. Ben Zobrist comes into this game hitting .319 and his on-base percentage is at .426. He has 66 hits this season along with 44 runs scored and 38 runs batted in. He's struck out 33 times and has walked 40 times. Kris Bryant is hitting .277 and he has an on-base percentage of .361. He has totaled 67 hits so far while scoring 47 runs and he's driven in 45. He has walked 27 times and has struck out 62 times. The Cubs have 535 hits, including 112 doubles and 75 home runs. They've stolen 27 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 15 times. Chicago has walked 263 times this season and they've struck out 524 times as a unit. They've left 454 men on base and have a team OPS of .772. They score 5.42 runs per contest and have scored a total of 336 runs so far this year.

Washington comes into this matchup with a 19-11 home record and a 40-24 overall mark. With an earned run average of 3.03, Stephen Strasburg has a 10-0 record and a 1.07 WHIP. He has 110 strikeouts over the 86 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 69 hits. He has allowed 7.2 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 2.76. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.06 and they have given up 134 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .212 against the Nationals bullpen while being struck out 186 times and walking 57 times this season. As a team, Washington has allowed 7.38 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.6 batters per nine. They are 3rd in the league in team earned run average at 3.19. The Nationals pitchers as a team have surrendered 474 base knocks and 205 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 62 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Washington as a staff has walked 174 hitters and struck out 616. They give up a walk 2.7 times per 9 innings while they strike out 9.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.12 while their FIP as a staff is 3.38.

As a team, they are batting .252, good for 15th in the league while putting together a .253 average at home. The Nationals hold a .428 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .325 which is good for 13th in baseball. They rank 17th in baseball with 8.5 hits per contest. Bryce Harper comes into this matchup batting .256 and he has an OBP of .408. He has 50 hits this year along with 37 runs scored and 38 RBI. He's struck out 43 times and has walked on 52 occasions. Daniel Murphy is hitting .367 and he has an OBP of .409. He has collected 87 hits so far while he's scored 38 runs and drove in 42. He has earned a walk 14 times and has punched out 28 times. The Nationals as a unit have 544 base hits, including 102 doubles and 87 homers. They have 32 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 17 times. Washington as a team has walked 225 times this year and they have struck out 486 times. They've had 434 men left on base and have an OPS of .754. They score 4.62 runs per game and have totaled 296 runs so far this season.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 31-29-2 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 38-24-0 against the run line so far this season

Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 31-27-6 against the over/under so far this season

The Washington Nationals are 33-31-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago Cubs

06/09/16 2B Tommy La Stella Hamstring 15-day DL (6/8)
06/07/16 LF Jorge Soler Hamstring 15-day DL (6/6)
05/18/16 P Joe Nathan Elbow 60-day DL (5/17)
04/08/16 C Kyle Schwarber Knee 60-day DL (4/8); out for season
04/04/16 P Aaron Brooks Hip 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 3B Christian Villanueva Fibula 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Dallas Beeler Shoulder 15-day DL (3/25)
03/31/16 P Zac Rosscup Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)

Washington Nationals

04/28/16 P Matt Belisle Calf 15-day DL (4/27)
03/31/16 P Aaron Barrett Elbow 60-day DL (4/1)

Guy's Pick: Take the Cubs

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