by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Aug 12, 2026
Game Time: 6:45 pm ET, Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Venue: Nationals Park, Washington, DC
Where to Watch: MLB TV
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Cubs -171, Nationals +141; Over/Under: 9.5 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Cubs -170, Nationals +140; Over/Under: 9.5 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Cubs -165, Nationals +140; Over/Under: 9.5 runs
Season Record
Chicago Cubs: 69-50 (2nd place, NL Central)
Washington Nationals: 59-61 (4th place, NL East)
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Recent Form
Chicago Cubs: 7-3 last 10
Washington Nationals: 4-6 last 10
Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals Preview and Analysis
The Cubs are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Kansas City Royals 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 69-50 record overall and have a road record of 34-26. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Nationals on Wednesday with the series opener still to be played on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 3rd in the MLB with a .756 OPS. Shota Imanaga is their starting pitcher on Tuesday while David Peterson is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 6-7 with a 5.35 ERA this season. His team won their last 4 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 1 ER, 0 HR, and 3 BB with 3 SO on 7 hits through 5 IP against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Nationals are entering this series off a win and completed the sweep in their 3-game series against the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 59-61 record overall and have a home record of 26-34. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Cubs on Wednesday with the 1st game of this series still to be played on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 1st in the MLB with a .767 OPS. Jake Irvin is their starting pitcher on Tuesday while Zak Kent is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 0-0 with a 6.28 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 4 earned runs, 0 homers, and 0 walks with 1 strikeout on 7 hits through 2 innings pitched against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Cubs vs Nationals Prediction
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 69-50 record overall which has them right near the top of the NL Central. They have been a good road team too with their 34-26 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Nationals haven't looked great in their games this season with their 59-61 record overall which has them right near the bottom of the NL East. They haven't looked good in their own ballpark either with their 26-34 home record this season. The Nationals haven't looked great lately either, now 4-6 in their last 10 games, and their pitching has been terrible all season. They have had one of the worst bullpens in the league all year and it doesn't help that they traded away their best starter at the trade deadline, so now they are in a bad situation with their starting rotation too. The Cubs have been rolling in their games lately though, now 7-3 in their last 10 games with one of the best offenses in the league. The Cubs are going with Peterson in this one and he hasn't looked good this season. He is 6-7 with a 5.35 ERA, but he has looked a lot better lately since the Mets traded him to the Cubs. The team has been having a lot of success with him, winning 4 games in a row now with him starting, and he is coming off a great start giving up 1 earned run which is starting to become a common theme for him. The Nationals do have a really good offense themselves, but they have looked a lot worse at home all season and pitching will be their downfall here against a red hot Cubs team. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game.
Cubs Nationals Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Wednesday, August 12, 2026 (6:45 pm ET start time) is Cubs 7 Nationals 3.
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MLB Betting Trends
Chicago Cubs: 249-202 (+21.5 units) on the moneyline in all games. 115-110 (+7.4 units) on the moneyline in road games. 132-91 (+16.3 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a losing record. 23-10 OVER against left-handed starters.
Washington Nationals: 97-127 (-18.1 units) on the moneyline in home games. 132-184 (-4.4 units) on the moneyline vs. a team with a good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 or better. 35-61 (-10.9 units) on the moneyline vs. a starting pitcher who gives up 0.5 or less HR's/start. 34-23 OVER in home games.
Key Injuries
Chicago Cubs: B. Brown (RP) Sixty Day IL - Neck. G. Hollowell (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Shoulder. P. Maton (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Knee. M. Shaw (RF) Ten Day IL - Hand. H. Milner (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Appendicitis. E. Cabrera (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Hamstring. D. Palencia (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. R. Martin (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. P. Hodge (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. C. Horton (SP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. H. Harvey (RP) Sixty Day IL - Tricep. J. Steele (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. T. Austin (1B) Sixty Day IL - Knee. S. Miller (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.
Washington Nationals: J. Wood (RF) Ten Day IL - Oblique. P. Poulin (RP) Sixty Day IL - Flexor. C. Early (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. D. Millas (C) Ten Day IL - Finger. M. Parker (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. R. Lovelady (RP) Sixty Day IL - Triceps. K. Waldichuk (SP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. J. Gray (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. D. Herz (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.
Notable Quotes
“These are always challenging stretches. There’s days you go in and you’re really worried about everything. There’s days you go in and think you feel pretty good. The starting pitching has been a big reason why we’ve been able to get through it.” - Craig Counsell after his team’s win against the Royals in their game on Sunday.
“The theme I saw was strikes – nine strikeouts – no walks. We're going to have a chance to win a lot of games when that's the line. These guys did an outstanding job of working through this lineup.” - Blake Butera after his team’s win against the Reds in their game on Sunday.
Starting Lineups
Chicago Cubs
Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) DH
Michael Busch (L) 1B
Alex Bregman (R) 3B
Ian Happ (S) LF
Michael Conforto (L) RF
Nico Hoerner (R) 2B
Dansby Swanson (R) SS
Miguel Amaya (R) C
Tyrone Taylor (R) CF
Washington Nationals
CJ Abrams (L) SS
Abimelec Ortiz (L) 1B
José Tena (L) DH
Daylen Lile (L) LF
Dylan Crews (R) RF
Jorbit Vivas (L) 3B
Nasim Nuñez (S) 2B
Keibert Ruiz (S) C
Jacob Young (R) CF
Statistical Leaders
Chicago Cubs
Batting Average: Justin Dean (.375)
Hits: Pete Crow-Armstrong (128)
Home Runs: Pete Crow-Armstrong (26)
RBI: Pete Crow-Armstrong (71)
Stolen Bases: Pete Crow-Armstrong (30)
Wins: Colin Rea (8)
Saves: Jacob Webb (7)
ERA: Ty Blach (0.00)
Washington Nationals
Batting Average: Andrew Pinckney (.500)
Hits: CJ Abrams (126)
Home Runs: James Wood (30)
RBI: CJ Abrams (89)
Stolen Bases: Nasim Nuñez (40)
Wins: Foster Griffin (12)
Saves: Clayton Beeter (12)
ERA: Trevor Williams (0.00)
Managers:
Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell (3rd season)
Washington Nationals: Blake Butera (1st season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
