Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 7/18/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Washington (+155) Chicago (-180)

Wrigley Field is the site where the Chicago Cubs (43-49) will take on the Washington Nationals (37-56) on Tuesday. The moneyline on this game has Washington at +155 while Chicago is sitting at -180. The betting total is set at 8.5. The expected starting pitchers are Trevor Williams and Jameson Taillon.

The Nationals have compiled 164 two-baggers as a squad and have smacked 81 balls out of the park. Washington has a slugging rate of .399 and have been called out on strikes 659 times, while being walked on 233 occasions. As a team, the Washington Nationals are scoring 4.2 runs per game, which puts them at 22nd in the league. They have earned 370 runs batted in in addition to 829 base knocks this season, and their average at the plate sits at .260. They have accounted for 390 runs and hold an OBP of .317.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 1.97 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.49. Nationals pitchers have surrendered 131 home runs and also 478 runs in total (27th in baseball). Washington has given up 870 base knocks (9.5 per 9 innings) as well as 442 earned runs. The Nationals have a team earned run average of 4.85 on the year (27th in baseball), and their staff has struck out 688 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 350 opposing batters and their FIP is 5.09 as a squad for the year.

The Nationals have dispatched 289 relievers to the hill so far this season. The relievers have inherited 131 runners for the year and 32.8% of those runners earned a run for their team. They have 24 saves for the year and have blown 19 of 43 save chances. The Nationals relief pitchers have a save percentage of 55.8% and stepped onto the hill in 87 save situations. The relief pitchers have tallied 44 holds on the season (22nd in the league). Nationals pitchers have entered the contest with players on base 82 times and also have had 94 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Nationals have converted 68.1% of balls hit into play into outs in their 7,383 innings on the field, which has them sitting at 24th in pro baseball. The Washington Nationals have accounted for 2,461 putouts this year, as well as 869 assists and 53 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .984 which puts them in 21st in professional baseball, and they have turned 89 double plays.

Williams has thrown 809 innings and has accounted for 663 strikeouts during his career. Williams (43-49 career win-loss record) has earned a FIP of 4.52 and he has faced 3,481 hitters during his time in the majors. His ERA is 4.28 (385 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.352. He has surrendered 832 hits (9.3 hits per nine innings) and has 262 walks.

The Chicago Cubs have a team on-base percentage of .326 as well as a batting average of .247 on the year. They have struck out on 849 instances (8th in MLB) and have tallied 768 base hits. Chicago has compiled 100 long balls so far this year as well as 413 runs batted in. The Cubs hold a slugging percentage of .397 and they tally 4.65 runs per outing (13th in the league). They have tallied 136 two-baggers, while taking a walk 334 times and scoring 428 runs.

The Cubs have a WHIP of 1.268 with a FIP of 4.18 as a staff on the year. They come in at 7th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 744. The Chicago pitching staff have surrendered 407 runs on the year while having an ERA of 4.12 (372 earned runs given up). Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 8.30 (750 strikeouts vs 287 free passes). They have given up 98 HR's and they concede 4.51 runs per 9 innings (15th in MLB).

Chicago has called on relief pitchers to take the mound in 21 save chances and they have walked away with 13 saves. They sit at 16th in the league with a save rate of 61.9%, and they have sent 279 relief pitchers to the mound this year. Their relief pitchers have come in 67 times in high leverage situations and on 70 occasions with base runners. Chicago relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 31.3% out of 115 inherited runners. Sitting with 60 save situations, the Cubs have 38 holds and also 8 blown saves.

Out of their 7,317 innings on the field, the Cubs have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.9% (10th in professional baseball). The Chicago Cubs have gotten 81 double plays and have a fielding rate of .986 (17th in professional baseball). The Cubs have recorded 842 assists, 48 errors and have accumulated 2,439 putouts over the course of the season.

Thus far in his career, Taillon has surrendered 840 hits while earning 773 strikeouts in 859 frames. Taillon (54-41 career mark) is the owner of a 4.03 earned run average and has conceded 8.8 hits per nine innings. He has allowed a total of 385 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.228 and a FIP of 3.9. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.60 and he has gone up against 3,590 batters so far in his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Chicago (-180)

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