Friday, May 6, 2016

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Max Scherzer vs. John Lackey

The Washington Nationals visit Wrigley Field on Friday to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Max Scherzer for the Nationals and John Lackey for the Cubs. The opening line for this matchup has Washington at -115 and Chicago at +105. The over/under was set at 7.5. The Nationals have a 10-13-4 over/under record and a 16-11-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 59% of the time. The Cubs are 19-7-0 against the run line and have a 16-8-2 over/under record. They cover the spread 73% of the time.

The Nationals head into this matchup with a 19-8 record, including 11-4 on the road. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer has a 3-1 record with an earned run average of 3.55 and a WHIP of 1.18. He has 39 strikeouts over his 38 innings pitched and he has given up 33 hits so far this season. He has allowed 7.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.75. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 2.69 and they have given up 58 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .207 against the bullpen while being struck out 78 times and walking 21 times this season. As a team, Washington has allowed 6.89 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.59 batters per nine. They are 2nd in the league in team earned run average at 2.35. The Nationals pitchers have collectively given up 191 base hits and 65 earned runs. They have allowed 15 home runs this season and they allow 0.5 homers per nine innings as a staff. Washington as a pitching staff has walked 73 batters and struck out 238. They walk 2.6 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.06 and their FIP as a unit is 2.88.

As a team, Washington is batting .244, good for 16th in the league while putting together a .255 average away from home. The Nationals hold a .413 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .311 which is good for 19th in baseball. They rank 14th in baseball with 8.33 hits per game. Bryce Harper comes into this game hitting .266 and his on-base percentage is at .372. He has 25 hits this season along with 18 runs scored and 26 runs batted in. He's struck out 23 times and has walked 17 times. Daniel Murphy is hitting .398 and he has an on-base percentage of .449. He has totaled 39 hits so far while scoring 17 runs and he's driven in 17. He has walked 8 times and has struck out 12 times. The Nationals have 225 hits, including 45 doubles and 34 home runs. They've stolen 13 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 5 times. Washington has walked 86 times this season and they've struck out 218 times as a unit. They've left 179 men on base and have a team OPS of .724. They score 4.44 runs per contest and have scored a total of 120 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this matchup with a 7-3 home record and a 20-6 overall mark. With an earned run average of 4.32, John Lackey has a 3-1 record and a 1.11 WHIP. He has 29 strikeouts over the 33.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 28 hits. He has allowed 7.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.31. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 2.66 and they have given up 42 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .181 against the Cubs bullpen while being struck out 79 times and walking 22 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 6.34 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.78 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 2.28. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 165 base knocks and 60 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 17 home runs this year and they give up 0.7 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 66 hitters and struck out 227. They give up a walk 2.6 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 0.99 while their FIP as a staff is 2.96.

As a team, they are batting .258, good for 10th in the league while putting together a .212 average at home. The Cubs hold a .425 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .364 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 10th in baseball with 8.77 hits per contest. Anthony Rizzo comes into this matchup batting .260 and he has an OBP of .403. He has 25 hits this year along with 22 runs scored and 27 RBI. He's struck out 16 times and has walked on 19 occasions. Kris Bryant is hitting .303 and he has an OBP of .395. He has collected 30 hits so far while he's scored 20 runs and drove in 17. He has earned a walk 13 times and has punched out 23 times. The Cubs as a unit have 228 base hits, including 52 doubles and 30 homers. They have 17 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 7 times. Chicago as a team has walked 139 times this year and they have struck out 199 times. They've had 209 men left on base and have an OPS of .789. They score 6.12 runs per game and have totaled 159 runs so far this season.

Washington Nationals Betting Trends

The Washington Nationals are 10-13-4 against the over/under so far this season

The Washington Nationals are 16-11-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 16-8-2 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 19-7-0 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

05/05/16 RF Jason Heyward Wrist is downgraded to not expected to be in the starting lineup Thursday vs. Washington Nationals
05/05/16 CF Matt Szczur Hamstring is downgraded to not expected to be in the starting lineup Thursday vs. Washington Nationals
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)

Tony's Pick: Take the Nationals

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