First pitch: Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Chicago +135, Washington -145, Total: 9.5

The Nationals will be hoping to get this series against the Cubs started off with a home victory on Monday.

The Cubs have not yet gotten themselves going this season, and at a certain point they are going to really have to wonder whether or not that will happen. With 75 games played on the year, the sample size is no longer small for Chicago. If the team can’t put together a long winning streak, or at least just rattle off a bunch of wins, then it’s likely there will be some moves at the trade deadline. The Nationals, meanwhile, are currently sitting atop the NL East standings. They have won three of their past five, and they’d be thrilled to have a second half like the first half of the year. The starters in this Monday night matchup are set to be RHP Eddie Butler (3-2, 4.19 ERA, 25 K) for Chicago and LHP Gio Gonzalez (7-1, 2.96 ERA, 87 K) for Washington. Part of the reason the Cubs have struggled this season is because they have needed more from guys like Butler this season. Injuries in the rotation have made things rough on Chicago, but that hasn’t been the case for the Nats. They’ll be thrilled to have Gonzalez on the mound, as the lefty has been excellent this season. One trend that favors the Cubs in this game is that the Nationals are 9-12 against the money line in home games after two or more consecutive home games this season. The Nationals are, however, 31-11 against the money line when playing at night this season.

The Cubs can really use a win on Monday, but they’re going to need Eddie Butler to do a little more than what he has recently. Butler allowed just one earned run in his most recent start, but he pitched just four innings in that loss to the Padres. Butler has pitched less than six innings in seven straight starts, and the team really needs him to find a way to work deeper into this one. He’ll also need to find a way to throw more strikes, as he walked three batters last game and also threw an absurd 92 pitches in his four innings of work. That is not a recipe for success against a potent Nationals lineup. Offensively, it’s pretty clear that the Cubs are going to need a lot more from 3B Kris Bryant (.263 BA, 16 HR, 31 RBI) moving forward. As of right now, Bryant is on pace to end the season with only 67 RBI. That would be a major letdown after he drove in 102 runs in his NL MVP winning season a year ago. Chicago needs him to start raking, and he is far too good of a player for that to not happen.

The Nationals are sending Gio Gonzalez to the hill on Monday and the lefty has been outstanding this season. Gonzalez has looked like a legitimate ace for Washington, and he is in good form entering this one as well. Gonzalez has allowed three or fewer earned runs in six straight games for the Nationals. He has also pitched at least six innings in all but one of those starts. Gonzalez’s stuff has been on point, as he has struck out eight or more batters in three of his past six outings. Offensively, the Nationals are getting a lot from superstar OF Bryce Harper (.315 BA, 18 HR, 56 RBI) this season. Harper is on pace to drive in 121 runs, and it wouldn’t be shocking if he ended up with more than that. He is seeing the ball extremely well, and is coming off of a 3-for-3 performance against the Reds on Sunday. Look for him to make a big impact at the plate in this one. Also, expect a nice performance from 2B Daniel Murphy (.342 BA, 13 HR, 54 RBI) here. Murphy is on a nine-game hitting streak heading into this game, and he has eight RBI in the past five games.