The Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs continue to limp through their uninspiring 2022 campaigns, and they’ll face each other for the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field on Monday night.
The Nationals have dropped five in a row in the wake of Juan Soto’s departure, while the Cubs have lost six of their last eight overall.
Which club will pick up an all-too-infrequent victory in this spot? Find out in our free MLB picks and predictions for Nationals vs. Cubs on Monday, August 8.
Nationals vs Cubs odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Cubs opened as -170 consensus favorites, and bettors are apparently convinced that Chicago is a lock, as they’ve been lowered to anywhere from -185 to -200 as of Monday morning. The initial consensus total of 7.5 has remained intact at many sites, but others have been forced to move the line up to 8.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until first pitch and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Nationals vs Cubs predictions
Picks made on 8/8/2022 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Nationals vs Cubs game info
• Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
• Date: Monday, August 8, 2022
• First pitch: 8:05 p.m. ET
• TV: MASN 2, Marquee Sports Network
Nationals vs Cubs betting preview
Starting pitchers
Anibal Sanchez (0-4, 7.65 ERA): Anibal Sanchez has lost each of his first four starts since coming off the injured list on July 14, serving up six home runs over 20 innings of work. The 38-year-old veteran has struck out 15 batters in that span while walking nine.
Keegan Thompson (8-5, 3.48 ERA): Keegan Thompson has been a little inconsistent in his sophomore season for the Cubs, but he has been one of their rare bright spots this year. Thompson pitched to a 2.57 ERA in July but has allowed five earned runs in two of his last three outings.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 6-0-1 in the Cubs’ last seven games after scoring two or fewer runs in their previous contest. Find more MLB betting trends for Nationals vs. Cubs
Nationals vs Cubs picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
It’s hard to have faith in the Nationals – who were a terrible team even before they traded away Juan Soto and Josh Bell – but this current price on the Cubs is ridiculous.
Chicago has lost six of its last eight games, averaging 1.88 runs per tilt. They were shut out three different times in that span, including Sunday’s 3-0 loss to the Marlins.
Keegan Thompson has run hot and cold for the Cubs in 2022, making it difficult for potential bettors to put their trust in him. His 3.48 ERA on the year can be somewhat misleading, as he did some of his best work as a reliever earlier this season, surrendering only four runs over 87 at-bats and pitching to a .184 opponent batting average. As a starter, Thompson has allowed 38 runs over 263 at-bats, with an opponent batting average of .270.
Chicago may have kept Ian Happ and Wilson Contreras in their lineup at the deadline, but the impact of dealing away relievers Mychal Givens and Scott Effross is due to be felt very soon.
The best Washington can probably hope for from Anibal Sanchez in this one is five innings of three-run baseball, just like he pulled off against the Diamondbacks on July 23. Once he takes his leave, the Nats have some decent high-leverage options to turn to in the bullpen.
Hunter Harvey has six scoreless appearances under his belt in his last seven outings, while Steve Cishek has gone 11-for-12 with scoreless outings since July 9. Newly anointed closer Kyle Finnegan has worked eight straight clean innings while tallying three saves in the process.
Finding positive trends for a terrible Nationals team is next to impossible, but bettors can rely on some negative trends for the Cubs to justify fading the latter squad as heavy favorites.
Chicago is 17-36 in its last 53 games following a loss, and 20-48 in its last 68 games after scoring two or fewer runs in their previous affair.
Prediction: Nationals moneyline (+175 at WynnBET)
Over/Under analysis
The Cubs and Nats are 21st and 27th, respectively, in runs per game this year, and won’t get any help from Mother Nature in this one. The Under looks like a solid play.
There’s a storm that’s expected to be in the Wrigley Field area on Monday night, but rain is not projected to delay proceedings much, if at all. However, the wind is estimated to blow in from left field at around 18 mph. That will be a boon for some suspect hurlers on the mound in this one.
Home runs have been challenging enough for both squads to come by this year, with Chicago checking in 20th with 104 longballs, and Washington ranking 28th with 86 round-trippers. It will be a daunting task for any hitter to jump the yard in these conditions.
The trends support a play on the Under too, as the Nats have gone below the total in 11 of their last 15 games against teams with losing records. The Under is 10-1-2 in the Cubs’ last 13 home games.
Prediction: Under 8 (-115 at BetMGM)
Best bet
The Nationals dealt away their two strongest bats at the deadline, yet their lineup still seems to be superior to that of the Cubs.
Luke Voit has three multi-hit games – with one of those hits being a homer – since joining Washington via the Soto trade on Thursday. Luis Garcia is batting .360 in August. Ildemaro Vargas has six hits in 13 at-bats since being called up on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Cubs are batting just .223 as a team since the All-Star break. Happ is hitting .281 but has no homers in that span. Contreras is one of seven regulars hitting .235 or worse in this stretch. That includes Seiya Suzuki’s horrid .155 mark, and he’s Chicago’s leading at-bat receiver in the second half of the year.
In a game where runs could be precious, taking some insurance with the Nats to at least keep it close – and at a reasonable price to boot – is the smart wager.
Pick: Nationals +1.5 (-135 at PointsBet)
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