A key series between two National League playoff contenders will start Friday at

Wrigley Field when the Chicago Cubs (66-48) host the Washington Nationals (59-56) as solid home favorites at the sportsbooks.The Cubs lead the NL Central by two games over the Milwaukee Brewers Hanley Ramirez Jersey , while the Nationals are chasing the Atlanta Braves for the league's second wild-card spot in the NL East. MLB betting line: The Cubs opened as -145 favorites (wager $145 to win $100), according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 4.6-4.5, Cubs (MLB picks on every game)Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.Why the Nationals can pay on the MLB linesWashington was seemingly out of the playoff race until going 10-5 over the team's last 15 games to get back over the .500 mark. The Nationals were also hoping to gain some ground on the Braves earlier this week but ended up splitting a four-game set at home, capped by a 6-3 victory on Thursday.The Nationals will now count on veteran starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson (5-2, 3.56 ERA) to help them open their fifth consecutive series with a win. Alex Brandon/Associated PressThe 31-year-old is coming off a victory against the Cincinnati Reds last Saturday, allowing two runs on two solo home runs as part of four hits overall in 5.2 innings. Why the Cubs can pay on the MLB linesChicago will counter Hellickson with a hot Kyle Hendricks (8-9, 4.07 ERA), who will be going for his third straight victory. The Cubs are 4-1 in the previous five starts for the 28-year-old Bill Lee Jersey , and he has given up three runs or less in six of his past seven outings.Known for performing well at Wrigley, the righty has a 4-6 mark and 3.75 ERA in 12 starts there this season, with opposing batters hitting .237 against him. Between 2015 and 2017, Kendricks went 15-8 with a 2.56 ERA at Wrigley as well, so home field has been an advantage for him and his teammates when has been on the mound.Smart betting pickThese teams have alternated wins and losses in the past 10 meetings, including last year's NL Division Series matchup. Chicago topped Washington 3-2 despite not having the home-field edge, and this will be the first time they square off this season.However, the Cubs are 6-3 in the previous nine games played versus the Nationals at Wrigley, according to the OddsShark MLB Database, and that will be the difference here. MLB betting trendsWashington is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games on the road.The total has gone under in 11 of Washington's last 16 games on the road.The total has gone under in four of Chicago's last five games.All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner Xander Bogaerts Jersey , OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app. MONTREAL (AP) — Charlie Montoyo was a 27-year-old infielder still trying to carve out a major league career the last time he stepped on the field at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.Montoyo, now the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, returned to the city Monday as his team opened a two-game exhibition series against the Milwaukee Brewers.“I’m never going to forget having my first hit of two here,” Montoyo said. “That’s a memory that I’m always going to have. Hopefully they (show) the highlights before the game. They’d have to stop the game for five seconds.”Montoyo, who was drafted by the Brewers twice — in 1986 and 1987 — made his major league debut with the Montreal Expos in 1993, appearing in four games with a pair of hits and three RBIs. But that would be it for his big league playing career.Montoyo sat in a familiar spot in the Olympic Stadium dugout when addressing the media before Monday night’s game, a 10-5 win for the Brewers. It was the same spot he was sitting in when former manager Felipe Alou asked him to pinch-hit for his first major league appearance against the Colorado Rockies.“I got here late, like 7 o’clock or 7:10 or something. I said hello to Felipe and I put my uniform on and sat on the bench,” Montoyo recalled. “Until the seventh inning when he said, ‘If they bring the lefty you’re going to go pinch-hit.'”The Rockies brought in left-hander Gary Wayne and Montoyo stepped to the plate. He said there were no butterflies in his stomach when he hit the go-ahead single before closer John Wetteland preserved a 4-3 victory.“There were butterflies when I went to play defense because I hadn’t taken any groundballs or anything http://www.redsoxproshops.com/authentic-dustin-pedroia-jersey ,” said Montoyo, who will make his regular-season debut as a major league manager Thursday at home against the Detroit Tigers. “But Wetteland was lights out, 1-2-3 and game over. I was the hero.”A number of one-time Expos, including Alou, Larry Walker and Steve Rogers were on hand before the game to be commemorated for the team’s 50th anniversary.Montoyo’s two hits with the Expos weren’t part of the celebration, however.Travis Shaw hit a three-run homer and Yasmani Grandal had a two-run shot for Milwaukee. Mike Moustakas and Orlando Arcia each had two hits.