Chi. Cubs vs Washington Nationals Picks and Predictions September 22nd 2024

From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have a Nationals vs. Cubs matchup. The Nationals are 69-86 and they are 4th in the NL East, while the Cubs are 79-76 and they are 2nd in the NL Central. Shota Imanaga will be starting for the Cubs, and the Nationals are starting Jake Irvin.

Imanaga and the Cubs are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -197. The over/under line is currently 7.5 runs, and the game can be seen on MARQ.

Washington vs. Chicago Key Information

• Teams: Nationals at Cubs
• Where: Wrigley Field Chicago
• Date: Sunday, September 22nd
• Betting Odds CHC -197 | WSH +167 O/U 7.5

The Nationals Can Win If…

Jake Irvin will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just one earned run in 7 1/3 innings of work. In that outing vs. the Mets, he finished with a no-decision. Looking back further, Irvin had a rough outing vs. the Pirates on September 5th, where he gave up six earned runs in five innings of work. He has made 31 starts this season and has a record of 10-12, along with an ERA of 4.07. Opponents are batting .237 off the right-hander this season. Irvin’s ERA at home is 5.04 compared to 4.08 on the road.

Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, as they are averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 24th in the MLB. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and team OPS. However, they do come into the game with a few hitters who have been swinging the bat well of late. CJ Abrams has gone 7/14 in his last four games, and Luis Garcia Jr. is batting .281 for the season and has gone deep 16 times.

Joey Gallo has been swinging the bat well of late, as he has gone 4/13 in his last four games with two homers and six RBIs. Gallo also comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak. Overall, he is batting just .220 for the season.

• The Nationals are 4-6 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Nationals are 2-3 vs. the run line.
• Washington has an over/under record of 3-6-1 in their last ten games.
• The Nationals have an average of 2.6 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Nationals are 3-7
• Looking back across the Nationals last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
• Washington has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Nationals have averaged 3.4 runs per game on offense

The Cubs Can Win If…

Chicago is sending Shota Imanaga to the mound today vs. the Nationals, and he has been pitching well as of late. In his last outing, Imanaga went 6 innings and picked up the win, giving up 2 earned runs on 5 hits. Looking back over his last three outings, he has allowed a total of 5 earned runs. Imanaga has made 28 starts this season and has a record of 14-3. His ERA for the season is 3.03, along with a WHIP of 1.03. Opposing batters are hitting .221 off Imanaga this season.

For the season, the Cubs are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 5.1 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .243, which is 11th in the league, and have the 15th best slugging percentage in the league.

Chicago’s lineup is led by Ian Happ, who has 25 home runs this season, and his 85 RBIs are the best mark on the team. Seiya Suzuki is 2nd on the team with 21 homers and is batting .279 for the season. Nico Hoerner comes into the game with a batting average of .269 and has gone deep five times this season. Over his last six games, Happ has two homers and is batting .269.

• The Cubs are 4-6 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Cubs are 1-4 vs. the run line.
• Chicago has an over/under record of 6-4 in their last ten games.
• The Cubs have an average of 3.4 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Cubs are 7-3
• Looking back across the Cubs last five games as the favorite, they are 2-3
• Chicago has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Cubs have averaged 8.0 runs per game on offense

The Chicago Cubs, having officially been eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday, will attempt to salvage the finale of their four-game series against the visiting Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs (79-76) saw their postseason hopes come to an end after the New York Mets clinched the final National League wild-card spot with a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. With seven games remaining, the Cubs are mathematically out of the race and will now focus on ending their season on a high note.

Wisdom provided Chicago’s lone offensive highlight in Saturday’s 5-1 loss, smashing a 421-foot solo home run to break up Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore’s no-hit bid in the seventh inning. However, that was all the Cubs could muster against a dominant performance from Gore, who stymied the Chicago lineup over seven strong innings.

Nationals Turn to Jake Irvin

Washington (69-86) will send right-hander Jake Irvin (10-12, 4.07 ERA) to the mound for Sunday’s finale. Irvin is coming off an impressive start against the New York Mets, where he allowed just one run on four hits over 7 1/3 innings. Despite his solid recent form, Irvin has struggled historically against the Cubs, posting an 0-1 record with an 8.00 ERA in two career starts.

“He’s been really good,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of Irvin. “He had a little funk after the All-Star break, but he came right back and has been really strong.”

Irvin will look to replicate the success Gore had on Saturday as Washington aims to win its third game in the four-game set.

Cubs Send Shota Imanaga to the Hill

The Cubs will counter with left-hander Shota Imanaga (14-3, 3.03 ERA), who has been Chicago’s most reliable starter down the stretch. Imanaga has won five consecutive starts, most recently holding the Oakland Athletics to two runs on five hits while striking out 11 in a 9-2 victory. Over his last five starts, Imanaga has posted a 2.73 ERA, including a win over the Nationals on Aug. 30, when he allowed three runs over six innings.

With his strong September performances, Imanaga will look to give the Cubs a positive close to the series as they try to shake off their postseason elimination.

CJ Abrams Demoted

The Nationals will be without All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, who was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday amid reports that he spent the night at a Chicago-area casino ahead of Friday’s game. Manager Dave Martinez didn’t offer specific details about the decision but confirmed that it wasn’t related to Abrams’ on-field performance.

Infielder Trey Lipscomb was called up in Abrams’ place, though he didn’t play in Saturday’s contest.

Pride and Future on the Line

With both the Cubs and Nationals out of postseason contention, Sunday’s game will be more about pride and positioning for the future. The Cubs, still stinging from their playoff elimination, will look to end the series on a high note, while the Nationals hope to continue their recent stretch of solid play and notch another victory before the season winds down.

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Key Players to Watch

• Patrick Wisdom: The Cubs’ infielder has been one of the few bright spots recently, and his power bat will be critical if Chicago wants to salvage a win.
• Shota Imanaga: After five straight wins, Imanaga will aim to finish the season strong and solidify his standing in the Cubs’ rotation for 2024.
• Jake Irvin: Coming off a strong start, Irvin will look to improve his career numbers against the Cubs and give Washington another solid outing.

Both teams will be looking for something positive to take away from the series finale, and Sunday’s game promises to be a battle of pride as the season nears its conclusion.

The Lean

Our lean for an over/under pick would be to take the over, as we have this as the 3rd lowest projected scoring game of the day. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we like the Cubs to come out on top. Shota Imanaga is our top projected starter of the day in terms of picking up a win, and he also has the 7th best innings pitched projection. On the other side, Jake Irvin is 20th in our projections in terms of strikeouts.