Cubs vs. Nationals prediction: Why Cubs are favored to win Tuesday's MLB matchup [8/11/2026]

The Washington Nationals will face the Chicago Cubs in MLB action at Nationals Park on Tuesday, commencing at 6:45 PM ET.

The Nationals will have Jake Irvin (2-5, 5.37 ERA) as their starting pitcher, pitting him against Shota Imanaga (8-9, 3.60 ERA) for the Cubs.

Dimers' proven MLB model projects the Cubs as the most likely winner in this Cubs vs. Nationals prediction.

This article offers an expanded analysis of Tuesday's matchup, including best bets and picks.

Cubs vs. Nationals prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using innovative machine learning and statistical analysis, we have simulated the result of Tuesday's MLB game between the Cubs and Nationals, forming part of our MLB predictions coverage.

Our leading predictive model currently gives the Cubs a 60.9% chance of beating the Nationals.

According to our model, the Nationals (+1.5) have a 51.0% chance of covering the run line, while the over/under total of 9.5 runs has a 50.7% chance of going over,.

Cubs vs. Nationals odds [8/11/2026]

We have researched the best MLB odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

• Run Line: Cubs -1.5 (-104) / Nationals +1.5 (+100)
• Moneyline: Cubs -167, Nationals +167

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Cubs vs. Nationals picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best current odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets in this matchup. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

• Run line: Nationals +1.5 @ +100 via DraftKings
• Moneyline: Nationals @ +167 via Novig
• Total: Over 9.5 @ +122 via Polymarket

According to our best MLB bets, the top play to make on this game is Over 9.5 total runs.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the sportsbook odds.

Cubs vs. Nationals game-day updates and essential details

Tuesday's MLB game between the Nationals and Cubs at Nationals Park is scheduled to begin at 6:45 PM ET.

• Who: Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals
• Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
• Time: 6:45 PM ET/3:45PM PT
• Venue: Nationals Park

Conclusion

We predict the Cubs, with a 60.9% win probability, will likely beat the Nationals in Tuesday's MLB matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.