Thursday, May 5, 2016

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Joe Ross vs. Kyle Hendricks

The Washington Nationals visit Wrigley Field on Thursday to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Joe Ross for the Nationals and Kyle Hendricks for the Cubs. The Nationals have a 9-13-4 over/under record and a 15-11-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 58% of the time. The Cubs are 18-7-0 against the run line and have a 15-8-2 over/under record. They cover the spread 72% of the time.

The Nationals head into this matchup with a 18-8 record, including 10-4 on the road. Starting pitcher Joe Ross has a 3-0 record with an earned run average of 0.79 and a WHIP of 0.97. He has 14 strikeouts over his 22.2 innings pitched and he has given up 15 hits so far this season. He has allowed 6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.88. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 2.80 and they have given up 58 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .214 against the bullpen while being struck out 74 times and walking 20 times this season. As a team, Washington has allowed 6.97 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.5 batters per nine. They are 2nd in the league in team earned run average at 2.36. The Nationals pitchers have collectively given up 186 base hits and 63 earned runs. They have allowed 15 home runs this season and they allow 0.6 homers per nine innings as a staff. Washington as a pitching staff has walked 71 batters and struck out 227. They walk 2.7 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.5 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.07 and their FIP as a unit is 2.93.

As a team, Washington is batting .238, good for 20th in the league while putting together a .245 average away from home. The Nationals hold a .404 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .308 which is good for 21st in baseball. They rank 17th in baseball with 8.04 hits per game. Bryce Harper comes into this game hitting .256 and his on-base percentage is at .367. He has 23 hits this season along with 16 runs scored and 24 runs batted in. He's struck out 22 times and has walked 17 times. Yunel Escobar is hitting .290 and he has an on-base percentage of .358. He has totaled 31 hits so far while scoring 13 runs and he's driven in 8. He has walked 10 times and has struck out 13 times. The Nationals have 209 hits, including 42 doubles and 32 home runs. They've stolen 13 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 5 times. Washington has walked 84 times this season and they've struck out 212 times as a unit. They've left 172 men on base and have a team OPS of .712. They score 4.12 runs per contest and have scored a total of 107 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this matchup with a 7-3 home record and a 19-6 overall mark. With an earned run average of 3.52, Kyle Hendricks has a 1-2 record and a 1.04 WHIP. He has 19 strikeouts over the 23 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 20 hits. He has allowed 7.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 2.49. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 2.51 and they have given up 39 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .178 against the Cubs bullpen while being struck out 76 times and walking 22 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 6.16 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.81 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 2.29. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 153 base knocks and 57 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 16 home runs this year and they give up 0.6 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 64 hitters and struck out 219. They give up a walk 2.6 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 0.97 while their FIP as a staff is 2.93.

As a team, they are batting .255, good for 10th in the league while putting together a .212 average at home. The Cubs hold a .420 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .362 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 10th in baseball with 8.64 hits per contest. Anthony Rizzo comes into this matchup batting .242 and he has an OBP of .395. He has 22 hits this year along with 19 runs scored and 26 RBI. He's struck out 15 times and has walked on 19 occasions. Kris Bryant is hitting .305 and he has an OBP of .394. He has collected 29 hits so far while he's scored 19 runs and drove in 17. He has earned a walk 12 times and has punched out 23 times. The Cubs as a unit have 216 base hits, including 50 doubles and 28 homers. They have 17 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 6 times. Chicago as a team has walked 134 times this year and they have struck out 195 times. They've had 199 men left on base and have an OPS of .782. They score 6.12 runs per game and have totaled 153 runs so far this season.

Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 9-13-4 against the over/under so far this season

The Washington Nationals are 15-11-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 15-8-2 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 18-7-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Washington Nationals

04/28/16 P Matt Belisle Calf 15-day DL (4/27)
04/07/16 LF Ben Revere Oblique 15-day DL (4/5)
03/31/16 P Aaron Barrett Elbow 60-day DL (4/1)

Chicago Cubs

05/04/16 RF Jason Heyward Wrist is downgraded to not expected to be in the starting lineup Wednesday vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
05/04/16 CF Matt Szczur Hamstring is downgraded to not expected to be in the starting lineup Wednesday vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
04/28/16 C Miguel Montero Back 15-day DL (4/25)
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)

Josh's Pick: Take the Nationals

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