- The Washington Nationals are -115 home favorites over the Chicago Cubs in a National League afternoon game slated for Sunday, August 1
- The Cubbies have won two of the last three overall from Washington and two of the last three played at Nationals Park
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
Two teams that were major-league sellers at the MLB trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs (51-55, 20-34 away) and Washington Nationals (48-56, 28-26 home) will close out a weekend series on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park.
Washington, the 2019 World Series champion, is situated fourth in the NL East. Chicago, the 2016 World Series champion, is situated fourth in the NL Central. Both opted to clean house at the trade deadline.
The Nationals parted with eight players from their major-league roster, including pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Hudson, outfielder Kyle Schwarber, catcher Yan Gomes and shortstop Trea Turner. Only nine players remain from the 2019 World Series-winning roster.
Meanwhile, the Cubs shipped out three of the key elements of their World Series winner, dealing Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez.
It’s left a pair of unfamiliar-looking rosters contesting this three-game set.
Oddsmakers are going with the home-field advantage in Sunday’s game. Washington is set as the slight -115 favorite over the Cubs, who are offered at a line of -105. The Nationals are 18-12 as a home favorite this season.
Cubs vs Nationals Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | -105 | +1.5 (-195) | O 8.5 (-115) |
| Washington Nationals | -115 | -1.5 (+165) | U 8.5 (-105) |
Odds as of July 31 at DraftKings
First pitch for Sunday’s game is slated for 1:05pm ET. Rain is in the forecast, along with 2 mph winds and a temperature of 93 degrees.
Alzolay vs Fedde
| 4-11 | Record | 4-7 |
| 4.73 | ERA | 5.05 |
| 4.77 | xERA | 4.77 |
| 1.12 | WHIP | 1.42 |
| 3.52 | SO/W Ratio | 1.94 |
Cubs right-hander Adbert Alzolay is 0-7 with a 6.28 ERA in his last eight starts. However, he has pitched at least five innings in each of his last five consecutive outings. He’s never allowed more than four earned runs in any of those five outings.
There are some signs that are positive in Alzolay’s stat line. He’s striking out 9.16 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.60 per nine innings. Keeping the ball in the park is proving problematic for him. Alzolay is allowing 2.22 home runs per nine innings.
Adbert Alzolay is amazing and a #Cubs legend in his own right. 💙❤️⚾️🐻 ❤️🩹 https://t.co/WZGYNOCAlH
— MsReadsaLot5 Smad Cubs Fan Not Leaving ❤️⚾️🐻💙 (@ThatBookNerd337) July 31, 2021
Alzolay is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in one career start against Washington on May 17.
Nationals right-hander Erick Fedde is 0-3 with a 6.68 ERA in his last seven starts. His numbers are trending in the wrong direction. In five July starts he was 0-3 with an 8.02 ERA. Fedde failed to get through the fifth inning in three of those five starts.
Erick Fedde will pitch tomorrow and Monday will be TBA, who the Nationals acquired for cash at the trade deadline.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) July 31, 2021
He’s 0-5 in his career in July. On the other hand, Fedde is 4-3 in August, the most games he’s won in any month. He’ll likely welcome the turning of the calendar.
He shows just a .278 winning percentage (5-13) with a 5.63 ERA in his career at Nationals Park. In his only career start against the Cubs Fedde surrendered four earned runs in five innings, including three home runs.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Nationals Batters | Batting Average vs Alzolay | Cubs Batters | Batting Average vs Fedde |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tres Barrera | .000 | Sergio Alcantara | .000 |
| Josh Bell | .667 | David Bote | .000 |
| Alcides Escobar | .000 | Robinson Chirinos | .000 |
| Luis Garcia | .000 | Willson Contreras | .667 |
| Yadiel Hernandez | .000 | Matt Duffy | .000 |
| Carter Kieboom | .000 | Johneshwy Fargas | .000 |
| Gerardo Parra | .000 | Ian Happ | .333 |
| Rene Rivera | .000 | Jason Heyward | .667 |
| Victor Robles | .000 | Rafael Ortega | .500 |
| Ryan Zimmerman | .000 | Andrew Romine | .000 |
| Juan Soto | .000 | Frank Schwindel | .000 |
| Andrew Stevenson | .000 | Patrick Wisdom | .000 |
Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras has made the most of his limited opportunities versus Fedde. In three at-bats he has two hits (.667). Both of those hits are solo home runs.
Watch #Cubs star C Willson Contreras jump into the arms of his close friend and countryman Adbert Alzolay after hitting an 8th inning, game-tying solo HR at Wrigley Field.@Cubs #GoCubsGo @WContreras40 @adbert29 pic.twitter.com/PlX6v8lQ2q
— Billy Krumb (@ClubhouseCancer) July 27, 2021
Outfielder Jason Heyward is also 2-for-3 (.667) against Fedde. Among other hitters, outfielder Rafael Ortega is 1-for-2 (.500) and outfielder Ian Happ is 1-for-3 (.333).
Nationals first baseman Josh Bell has worn out Alzolay. He’s 4-for-6 (.667) with two homers and five RBI.
Cubs vs Nationals Pick
If either of these pitchers is likely to turn things around and toss a gem, it’s more likely to be Alzolay. He’s been pitching better of late. On the other hand, Fedde gets further away from good.
Perhaps the best bet here, though, is the total. With these two fire starters toeing the rubber, 8.5 seems like an awfully low number.
Take the Cubs and the over.
Picks: Chicago Cubs (-115), Over 8.5 (-115)
The post Cubs vs Nationals Odds, Betting Lines, and Probable Pitchers appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.
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