Cubs vs. Nationals Prediction and Odds for Wednesday, August 17 (Drew Smyly's Hot Stretch Continues)

Drew Smyly is on a tear for the Chicago Cubs, allowing one run or fewer in four of his last five starts, including zero runs in his previous two.

He'll hope to stay hot against the Washington Nationals and Cory Abbott, who has a 7.11 ERA this month after surrendering 10 runs in his last two outings.

With both squads struggling of late, this is a battle of two poor teams likely ready for the season to end.

But who has the edge? Let's take a look at the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook to find the value in this Cubs vs Nationals showdown:

Cubs vs Nationals Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line:

• Cubs -1.5 (+110)
• Nationals +1.5 (-130)

Moneyline:

• Cubs -150
• Nationals +140

Total:

• 9 (Over -110 / Under -110)

Cubs vs Nationals Prediction and Pick

Drew Smyly looks impressive of late, posting an expected FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) below 3.96 in three of four starts as the Cubs won each of those three. In a matchup between bad clubs, we're looking for small edges to push us over the top. Thankfully, Smyly gives us such an edge.

Cory Abbott picked up a win over Jacob deGrom to open up August but has been terrible since. He's had an expected FIP over 6.08 in three consecutive starts, a figure that would easily be the worst in MLB over the course of the season. With eight walks over his last two outings, everything is going wrong for Abbott.

To make matters worse for Washington, the Cubs rank seventh in OPS against right-handed pitchers over the last three weeks.

The Nationals are just 6-18 in their last 24 games as home underdogs. Look for that futility to continue as Smyly shines and Abbott's collapse continues.

PICK: Cubs ML -150

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.