Nationals vs Cubs Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for July 18 (Expect More Windy City Fireworks)

Tuesday, July 18's MLB schedule includes an intriguing battle between the Washington Nationals (38-56) and Chicago Cubs (43-50) at Wrigley Field.

Nationals vs Cubs Game Info

• Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2023
• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• Venue: Wrigley Field -- Chicago, Illinois
• Coverage: MASN, Marquee Sports Network

The two middling clubs began their three-game series with fireworks Monday, ending in a 7-5 win for the Nationals. The duo of Jeimer Candelario and Keibert Ruiz did most of Washington's damage, combining for five hits, two home runs, and four RBIs over just seven at-bats.

Nationals vs Cubs Odds & Spread

• All MLB betting lines, odds, and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: WSH: (+140) | CHC: (-166)
• Spread: WSH: +1.5 (-146) | CHC: -1.5 (+122)
• Total: 9 -- Over: (-120) | Under: (-102)

The Cubs enter this contest as home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8:05 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 9 runs with the Over being favored at -120 odds.

Nationals vs Cubs Betting Trends

• Washington is 1-8 straight up (SU) in its last nine games on a Tuesday.
• The Cubs are 0-5 SU in their last five games against the NL East.
• The total has hit the Over in five of Washington's last six road games.
• The total has hit the Over in each of the Cubs' last five home games.

Nationals vs Cubs Prediction & Pick

It'll be interesting to see which version of Patrick Corbin the Nationals get tonight. On one hand, he just struck out six batters while allowing one run on five hits in his last start (July 9). On the other, his recent road play has been shaky at best, going 2-2 with a 5.72 ERA in his last five away starts, allowing six-plus runs twice during that span.

The Cubs' Jameson Taillon has left much to be desired, too. The 31-year-old righty is 3-6 with a 6.15 ERA through 15 starts this season. He's been much worse at home than on the road, tallying a 1-4 record with a 7.41 ERA in eight starts at Wrigley Field.

In what'll likely be another back-and-forth contest, I'm going with the Nationals to emerge victorious. They not only have momentum from yesterday's win, but they're now 4-1 SU in their last five meetings with the Cubs.

Throw in Chicago losing its last five meetings with the NL East and I like Washington's odds to win even more.

Final Score Prediction: Nationals: 6 | Cubs: 5

Nationals vs Cubs Best Bet

After the two teams combined for a dozen runs yesterday, let's go with the Over on the 9-run total as the best bet. For starters, three of Corbin's last four starts have seen over nine runs scored while Taillon's last five home starts saw an average of 11.2 combined runs.

Further legitimizing this bet is the fact that the Over is not only 5-1 in Washington's last six games but also 5-0 in Chicago's previous five at home. In other words, there's no reason to expect a low-scoring affair tonight.

Bet: Over 9 Total Runs (-120)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.