Following their impressive 3-0 win in the series opener on Friday night, the Chicago Cubs will turn to veteran southpaw starter Jon Lester to improve their NLDS Game 2 betting odds and try to steal another W in Washington against the Nationals.
Washington manager Dusty Baker will go with veteran lefty Gio Gonzalez in Game 2 when this duel goes down live from the nation’s capital on Saturday at 5:30 PM ET with this contest airing live on TBS. Now, let’s find out which team is offering the best value in this matchup, considering the Nationals are the -1.5 favorites.
Washington’s Game 2 starter (Gio Gonzalez) could be available on regular rest to start Game 5, if necessary. When asked if that impacted his decision on whether to use Scherzer or not in Game 2, Baker said, “Is that worth taking a chance — and if you get past the first round, then are you jeopardizing the second round? So you have to kind of weigh both. But the health of Max, I think, was No. 1.”
Scherzer led the National League with 268 strikeouts while ranking second in the NL with a 2.51 ERA and leading Washington in wins (16-6), but now they have to trust Gonzalez.
NLDS Game 2 Betting Odds & Expert Pick: Chicago at Washington
Ladies and gentlemen, your Washington Nationals 2017 NLDS Roster. #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/UQCeHN0Lnl
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) 6 de octubre de 2017
- When: Saturday, October 7, 5:30 PM ET
- Where: Nationals Park
- TV: TBS
- Radio: 670 The Score, 106.7 The Fan, ESPN Radio
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- NLDS Game 2 Betting Odds: Washington Nationals -1.5 (Over/Under at 8.5)
Weather Forecast
- Clear: 28°C/83°F
- Humidity: 52%
- Precipitation: 0%
- Cloud Cover: 28%
- Wind: 11 mph NNE
- Stadium Type: Open
MLB – SERIES CORRECT SCORE ODDS
Recent Head to Head Statistics (Last 10 Games)
- Runs: Chicago Cubs 3.70 / Washington Nationals 5.10
- Hits: Chicago Cubs 7 / Washington Nationals 8.60
- Walks: Chicago Cubs 3 / Washington Nationals 3.80
- Strikeouts: Chicago Cubs 11.10 / Washington Nationals 8.20
- Over/Under: Chicago Cubs 3-6-1 / Washington Nationals 3-6-1
Probable Pitchers
Chicago Cubs – Jon Lester – L – (13-8, 4.33 ERA, 180 K)
Jon Lester has compiled a respectable 9-7 record with a 2.63 ERA over 133.2 playoff innings pitched. The veteran southpaw starter has made a pair of starts against Washington this season while ending up with a pair of no-decisions despite posting a solid 2.84 ERA.Washington Nationals – Gio Gonzalez – L – (15-9, 2.96 ERA, 188 K)
Gio Gonzalez hits the playoffs coming off one of his worst starts of the season after giving up six earned runs on seven hits in just 4.1 innings of an 11-8 loss to Pittsburgh on October 1. Max Scherzer was being considered to start Game 2 but he injured his right hamstring during his final regular-season start. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has been throwing on flat ground in the outfield recently.
Washington’s Game 2 starter (Gio Gonzalez) could be available on regular rest to start Game 5, if necessary. When asked if that impacted his decision on whether to use Scherzer or not in Game 2, Baker said, “Is that worth taking a chance — and if you get past the first round, then are you jeopardizing the second round? So you have to kind of weigh both. But the health of Max, I think, was No. 1.”
Scherzer led the National League with 268 strikeouts while ranking second in the NL with a 2.51 ERA and leading Washington in wins (16-6), but now they have to trust Gonzalez.
Why consider the Cubs NLDS Game 2 Betting Odds?
Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo shined in Game 1, but what about Kyle Hendricks, who holds Washington scoreless on two hits in his seven innings. The Cubs sent a strong message, they want to become the first back-to-back champions since 1999 when the New York Yankees did it. Jon Lester comes into this contest off of two straight fantastic outings to close out the regular season, having limited both, St. Louis to one run in 6.0 innings in his next to the last start of the season while tossing five shutout innings against Cincinnati in his final start. However, in his start against Tampa Bay just prior to those last two outings, Lester got smacked around for seven earned runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings of an 8-1 loss to the Rays.Team Record
- All: 92-70
- Home: 48-33
- Away: 44-37
- As Favorite: 81-60
- As Underdog: 11-10
- ATS: 73-89
- Over/Under: 74-79-9
- Against Left Hand Pitchers: 21-14
- Against Right-Hand Pitchers: 71-56
Why consider the Nationals NLDS Game 2 Betting Odds?
Prior to his final start of the regular season, Gio Gonzalez struggled in giving up 10 earned runs over his three previous starts while tossing a combined 17.0 innings. Gonzalez has allowed at least one home run in four of his last seven starts while giving up at least five earned runs in three of his last six regular season starts. The Nats are a really good baseball team, they need to forget everything about Game 1 and rest assure they have what it takes to go all the way into the 2017 World Series. It’s time for Bryce Harper, an MVP candidate, to prove himself as a natural born leader.Team Record
- All: 97-65
- Home: 47-34
- Away: 50-31
- As Favorite: 81-47
- As Underdog: 16-18
- ATS: 76-86
- Over/Under: 69-82-11
- Against Left Hand Pitchers: 22-15
- Against Right Hand Pitchers: 75-50
Latest MLB Betting Trends for NLDS Game 2
- Cubs are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games
- Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Chi Cubs’s last 15 games
- Nationals are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games
- Nationals are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington’s last 9 games
