Nationals vs. Cubs prediction: Picks, odds, live stream, TV channel, start time on Monday, August 8

The Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs square off on Monday with first pitch set for 8:05 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. The Nationals will send Anibal Sanchez (0-4, 7.65 ERA) to the mound. He will match up against Cubs righty Keegan Thompson (8-5, 3.48 ERA).

The Nationals (36-74) have dropped five games in a row and were outscored 36-12 during their four-game series in Philadelphia over the weekend. Obviously, they are in full rebuild mode. They already have the worst record in MLB, and things are going to get better anytime soon. On the bright side, Luke Voit is 6-for-13 in his first four games as a Nat. The 38-year-old Sanchez has lost each of his four starts this year. The league has a .885 OPS against him.

The Cubs (43-64) sit at the bottom of the NL Central after losing Sunday's game to the Marlins. They were shut out and held to two hits in the series finale. The Cubs are batting only .182 and averaging 2.1 runs per game over their past 10. Catcher Willson Contreras has eight extra-base hits in 14 games since the All-Star break. Thompson has been halfway decent for the Cubs. His most recent outing – five earned runs over 4.2 innings at St. Louis – wasn't great, but Thompson did post a 2.57 ERA across four starts in July.

Nationals vs. Cubs

Pitchers: Anibal Sanchez vs. Keegan Thompson
First pitch: 8:05 p.m. ET
Nationals local broadcast: MASN 2
Cubs local broadcast: Marquee Sports Network
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Cubs -1.5 (+115)
Run total: 8
Moneyline odds: Cubs -190, Nats +160

Moneyline pick: Cubs -190

The Cubs are 21 games below .500 and a huge favorite. That's the state of the Nationals. They probably won't be favored in any game for the remainder of the season, nor should they be. You can't, in good conscience, bet on them in any game for the rest of 2022. It's that bad. Take the Cubs with the serviceable starter on the bump.

Player prop pick: Ian Happ OVER 1.5 total bases (+135)

Happ has been in a little slump of late, with five hits in his past 30 at-bats. However, he has succeeded against left-handed pitching this season to the tune of a .330/.385/.477 slash line. This matchup against the southpaw Sanchez is a great one for Happ.

  
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