Washington Nationals vs Chicago Cubs Picks and Prediction for Thursday March 26 2026

By: Eddie Kline Published 03/26/2026, 01:20 AM ET

Nationals Preview

Historic Wrigley Field will play host to a Thursday afternoon MLB clash between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs. Be ready for the baseball season with all of our MLB predictions. Since winning the 2019 World Series, the Nationals have missed the playoffs for six straight years. Washington features a youthful lineup with SS C.J. Adams and OF James Wood showing some flashes of star potential.

Twenty-seven year old righty Cade Cavalli (3-1 4.25 ERA) will head to the hill for the Nationals in this contest. Cavalli started ten games for the Nationals in 2025 and posted a subpar 1.48 WHIP across 48 plus frames.

Cubs Preview

The Chicago Cubs are coming off a 92-win season and are the favorites to dethrone Milwaukee as the NL Central Division champs. The Cubs lost OF Kyle Tucker to Los Angeles on a monster free-agency deal, but bolstered their playoff chances in a number of ways. Most notably, Chicago added 3B Alex Bregman to a potent lineup and hard-throwing righty to the starting rotation.

Thirty-five year old southpaw Matthew Boyd (14-8 3.21 ERA) made the most of his first season with Chicago. After spending his first ten seasons with four different teams, Boyd was named to his first All-Star team in 2025. The talented lefty posted a stellar 1.09 WHIP in 31 starts for the Cubs.

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Nationals vs Cubs Pick

Chicago OF Seiya Suzuki (knee) will begin the year on the injured list and hopes to make his season debut later this month. In 2025, Washington ranked 24th in OPS and 20th in runs scored. Last season, Chicago ranked 7th in OPS and 5th in runs scored. It could be close to 70 degrees on Opening Day with a 15 mph wind blowing out to right field. Take the over. Final Score Prediction, Chicago Cubs win 6-4.

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