Chicago Cubs vs Washington Nationals Prediction, Preview and Odds - 08/13/2026

Game Time: 4:05 pm ET, Thursday, August 13, 2026

Venue:  Nationals Park, Washington, DC

Where to Watch:  MLB TV

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -142, Nationals +118; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -140, Nationals +120; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -140, Nationals +115; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Chicago Cubs:  70-50 (2nd place, NL Central)

Washington Nationals:  59-62 (4th place, NL East)

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Chicago Cubs:  8-2 last 10

Washington Nationals:  4-6 last 10

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 70-50 record overall and have a road record of 35-26. This is the series finale of a 3-game series with the Nationals on Thursday with the 2nd game still to be played on Wednesday. The Cubs won the series opener on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 3rd in the MLB with a .757 OPS. David Peterson is their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Kevin Gausman is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 6-10 with a 4.29 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 2 ER, 1 HR, and 1 BB with 4 SO on 4 hits through 7 IP against the Kansas City Royals.

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 59-62 record overall and have a home record of 26-35. This is the 3rd game of a 3-game series with the Cubs on Thursday with the 2nd game of this series still to be played on Wednesday. The Nationals lost the 1st game of this series on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 1st in the MLB with a .768 OPS. Jackson Kent is their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Cade Cavalli is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 9-5 with a 3.57 ERA this season. His team won 4 of their last 5 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 3 earned runs, 3 homers, and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts on 7 hits through 6 innings pitched against the Cincinnati Reds.

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 70-50 record overall which has them right near the top of the NL Central. They have been a good road team too with their 35-26 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Nationals haven't looked great in their games this season with their 59-62 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 26-35 home record this season. The Nationals have looked a lot worse at home this season and they haven't looked great lately either, now 4-6 in their last 10 games. The Cubs have been rolling lately, going 8-2 in their last 10 games, and their pitching has looked a lot better too. The Cubs are going with Gausman in this one and he hasn't looked great this season. He is 6-10 with a 4.29 ERA, but he has looked a lot better lately. He is coming off a good start in which he gave up 2 earned runs and his team has won 2 games in a row now with him starting too. The Nationals are going with Cavalli in this one and he has looked good this season. He is 9-5 with a 3.57 ERA and the team has been having a ton of success with him lately. They have won 4 of their last 5 games with him starting, but he did give up 3 earned runs in his last start which has been a common theme for him. The Nationals do have one of the best offenses in the league this season, but the Cubs are right up there with them and the Cubs also have a much better pitching staff to lean on. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game. 

Cubs Nationals Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Thursday, August 13, 2026 (4:05 pm ET start time) is Cubs 6 Nationals 3.

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Chicago Cubs: 250-202 (+22.5 units) on the moneyline in all games. 116-110 (+8.4 units) on the moneyline in road games. 133-91 (+17.3 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a losing record. 13-7 OVER against NL East opponents.

Washington Nationals: 97-128 (-19.1 units) on the moneyline in home games. 61-90 (-8 units) on the moneyline as a home underdog of +100 or higher. 132-185 (-5.4 units) on the moneyline vs. a team with a good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 or better. 20-12 OVER as a home underdog of +100 or higher.

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.

“They’re forming a one-two punch that is as good as there is in baseball.” - Craig Counsell on PCA and Suzuki after his team’s win against the Nationals in their game on Tuesday. 

“I think there's been a lot of times where he's been able to throw pretty similarly to the way he did tonight and limit damage a little bit better and be a little more efficient with his pitches. But credit the Cubs’ lineup. They didn't chase. Every pitch that was just off the plate, it felt like they took for a ball. They didn't help his cause by any means, and that wore on Jake, of course. He had to throw a ton of pitches.” - Blake Butera after his team’s loss against the Cubs in their game on Tuesday.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF

Seiya Suzuki (R) RF

Michael Busch (L) 1B

Alex Bregman (R) 3B

Ian Happ (S) LF

Nico Hoerner (R) 2B

Michael Conforto (L) DH

Carson Kelly (R) C

Dansby Swanson (R) SS

Dylan Crews (R) RF

Andrés Chaparro (R) 1B

Brady House (R) 3B

CJ Abrams (L) SS

Harry Ford (R) C

Jacob Young (R) CF

Daylen Lile (L) DH

Nasim Nuñez (S) 2B

Andrew Pinckney (R) LF

Batting Average:  Justin Dean (.375)

Hits:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (129)

Home Runs:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (27)

RBI:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (72)

Stolen Bases:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (30)

Wins:  Colin Rea (8)

Saves:  Jacob Webb (8)

ERA:  Ty Blach (0.00)

Batting Average:  Abimelec Ortiz (.292)

Hits:  CJ Abrams (127)

Home Runs:  James Wood (30)

RBI:  CJ Abrams (91)

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)