Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals Prediction, Preview and Odds - 06/03/2025

Game Time: 6:45 pm ET, Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Venue:  Nationals Park, Washington, DC

Where to Watch:  MASN

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -148, Nationals +124; Over/Under:  9 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -150, Nationals +125; Over/Under:  9 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -150, Nationals +125; Over/Under:  9 runs

Chicago Cubs:  37-22 (1st place, NL Central)

Washington Nationals:  28-31 (3rd place, NL East)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Nelly’s Sports is on a HOT STREAK in the MLB on a 31-23 MLB RUN for +$7,590 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Chicago Cubs:  8-2 last 10

Washington Nationals:  6-4 last 10

The Cubs are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 37-22 record overall and have a road record of 17-11. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Nationals on Tuesday and they have Monday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 3rd in the MLB with a .783 OPS. Jameson Taillon was their starting pitcher on Sunday while rookie pitcher Cade Horton is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 2-0 with a 3.98 ERA this season. His team won all 4 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 ER, 1 HR, and 1 BB with 6 Ks on 4 hits through 6 IP against the Colorado Rockies.

The Nationals are entering this series off a loss and won their 3-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 28-31 record overall and have a home record of 13-14. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Cubs on Tuesday and they have Monday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 15th in the MLB with a .709 OPS. Mitchell Parker was their starting pitcher on Sunday while Trevor Williams is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 3-5 with a 5.69 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 earned runs, 0 homers, and 0 BB with 2 strikeouts on 3 hits through 6 innings played against the Seattle Mariners.

The current betting odds have the Cubs listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cubs have looked really good in their games this season with their 37-22 record overall which has them right at the top of the NL Central with one of the best records in the entire MLB. They have also been a good road team this year with their 17-11 road record. Meanwhile, the Nationals haven't looked great in their games this season with their 28-31 record overall which has them right in the middle of the NL East. They haven't looked great in their own ballpark either with their 13-14 home record this season. They have looked better lately as they are 6-4 in their last 10 games and just won their last series too, but the Cubs have been even hotter lately as they are 8-2 in their last 10 games. The Cubs also have one of the best offenses in the MLB this year and they can take advantage of this better pitching matchup. Parker is on the mound for the Nationals and he hasn't looked great this season. He is 3-5 with a 5.69 ERA and has been giving up a lot of runs in his starts. He is coming off a good start in his last one as he didn't give up any runs, and the team has also won 2 games in a row with him starting too, but that hasn't been a common theme for him this season and the Cubs offense is going to put up runs in this game. The Cubs are going with rookie Horton in this one and even though he doesn't have a lot of experience in the MLB, he has been pitching well lately. He is 2-0 with a 3.98 ERA and the team has won all 4 of the games that he started in this year. He only gave up 2 earned runs in his last start too so he will keep the Nationals at bay while the Cubs offense takes care of the rest. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game. 

Cubs Nationals Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Tuesday, June 3, 2025 (6:45 pm ET start time) is Cubs 7 Nationals 3.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks, best bets, and expert baseball picks today.  And if you enjoyed this Chicago Cubs Washington Nationals prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily MLB projections and previews.

Chicago Cubs: 34-42 (-13 units) on the moneyline against NL East opponents. 14-25 (-17.8 units) on the moneyline vs. an NL starting pitcher whose ERA is 5.40 or worse. 73-73 (-16.1 units) on the moneyline vs. NL teams allowing 4.5 or more runs/game on the season. 20-8 OVER on the road after 3 or more consecutive home games. 

Washington Nationals: 169-213 (+30.4 units) on the moneyline in all games. 140-186 (+34.6 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 or higher. 119-146 (+25.1 units) on the moneyline against right-handed starters. 15-6 OVER at home when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 62%). 

Chicago Cubs:  K. Tucker (RF) Day To Day - Finger. M. Amaya (C) Ten Day IL - Oblique. P. Hodge (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Oblique. T. Miller (RP) Sixty Day IL - Hip. E. Morgan (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. S. Imanaga (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Leg. J. Assad (RP) Sixty Day IL - Oblique. J. Steele (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

Washington Nationals:  J. Young (CF) Ten Day IL - Shoulder. D. Crews (RF) Ten Day IL - Back. P. DeJong (3B) Ten Day IL - Face. O. Ribalta (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Bicep. D. Law (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Forearm. D. Herz (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. M. Thompson (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. J. Gray (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

“Just a bunch of different guys. Different guys every day. That’s how you’re consistent offensively.” - Craig Counsell after his team’s win against the Reds in their game on Sunday.

“Our young guys are doing a lot better. I want to give them the opportunity to go out there and, like I said, let's see what we have here, let’s see what we have in the future. We're trying to build something special.” - Dave Martinez after his team’s win against the Diamondbacks in their game on Sunday.

Ian Happ (S) LF

Kyle Tucker (L) RF

Seiya Suzuki (R) DH

Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF

Dansby Swanson (R) SS

Michael Busch (L) 1B

Nico Hoerner (R) 2B

Matt Shaw (R) 3B

Reese McGuire (L) C

CJ Abrams (L) SS

James Wood (L) LF

Nathaniel Lowe (L) 1B

Luis García Jr. (L) 2B

Josh Bell (S) DH

Robert Hassell III (L) CF

Keibert Ruiz (S) C

José Tena (L) 3B

Daylen Lile (L) RF

Batting Average:  Nico Hoerner (.301)

Hits:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (65)

Home Runs:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (15)

RBI:  Seiya Suzuki (52)

Stolen Bases:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (19)

Wins:  Matthew Boyd (5)

Saves:  Daniel Palencia (5)

ERA:  Drew Pomeranz (0.00)

Batting Average:  Trey Lipscomb (.500)

Hits:  James Wood (64)

Home Runs:  James Wood (16)

RBI:  James Wood (44)

Stolen Bases:  Dylan Crews (11)

Wins:  Jorge López (6)

Saves:  Kyle Finnegan (16)

ERA:  Andrew Chafin (2.00)

Managers:

Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell (2nd season)

Washington Nationals: Dave Martinez (8th season)