Subscribe
Follow Us
The Cincinnati Reds will finish their three-game series with the Chicago Cubs on Sunday at Wrigley Field. We're here to share our MLB odds series, make a Reds-Cubs prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Reds took the first game of this series 5-4. After Chicago took the lead early, they once again collapsed late, allowing three runs in the seventh. Drew Smyly could not hold onto the lead. Unfortunately, this has become a recurring theme with the Cubs.
Nick Lodolo starts for the Reds. He is 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA. Recently, he went 5 1/3 innings while allowing one earned run on five hits while striking out three in a win over the Cardinals. Despite this start, he failed to get a quality start and only had one all season.
Ben Brown starts for the Cubs. He is 1-1 with a 2.72 ERA. Significantly, he tossed seven no-hit innings while striking out 10. But the bullpen blew his victory, which we have seen many times this season.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Reds-Cubs Odds
Cincinnati Reds: -1.5 (+160)
Moneyline: -102
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-192)
Moneyline: -116
Over: 7.5 (-115)
Under: 7.5 (-105)
How to Watch Reds vs. Cubs
Time: 2:21 PM ET/11:21 AM PT
TV: Marquee TV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Reds Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Reds are struggling in numerous aspects of the game. Sadly, they have dealt with injuries to core players like Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Matt McLain, which have helped them slump to 29th in batting average, 25th in on-base percentage and slugging percentage, 21st in runs, and 19th in home runs.
Article Continues Below
Elly De La Cruz stays around and looks to lead the team to victory. Substantially, he is batting .244 with nine home runs, 24 RBIs, and 37 runs with 32 stolen bases. Spencer Steer hopes to improve. He is hitting .219 with six home runs, 35 RBIs, and 27 runs. Jonathan India is also looking to do more. So far, he is batting just .224 with three home runs, 18 RBIs, and 19 runs. Will Benson will need to add some hits. Ultimately, he is hitting .201 with eight home runs, 17 RBIs, and 18 runs.
The Reds have a decent pitching staff. Currently, they are 13th in team ERA. Their bullpen has been better. Overall, they are 11th in baseball in team ERA.
The Reds will cover the spread if they can batter some runs home. Then, they need a great outing from Lodolo.
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cubs are staying competitive despite a middling offense. So far, they are 25th in batting average, 17th in on-base percentage and home runs, 15th in runs, and 25th in slugging percentage. The inconsistency has been maddening, and the Northsiders have not been able to generate much in terms of runs.
Cody Bellinger is one of the few bright spots. Significantly, he is batting .260 with eight home runs, 26 RBIs, and 19 runs. Christopher Morel is hitting .200 with 10 home runs, 35 RBIs, and 25 runs. Nico Hoerner is capable of doing more. So far, he is batting .256 with two home runs, 15 RBIs, and 28 runs. Dansby Swanson is also not doing as well as he could. He is hitting just .206 with four home runs, 13 RBIs, and 23 runs.
This offense has not been bad in particular. In fact, they have averaged 4.57 runs per game over their last seven contests. But there is significantly more pressure on them to do more, especially considering the inconsistency on the mound.
The Cubs have a maddening pitching staff. Ultimately, they are 14th in baseball and have shown signs of success. But their bullpen has dragged them down. Unfortunately, they are 27th in team ERA.
The Cubs will cover the spread if their bats can clobber some runs across the plate early. Then, they need their bullpen to locate its pitches and now blow the save.
Final Reds-Cubs Prediction & Pick
The Reds' run-line record is 31-26. Conversely, the Cubs' run-line record is 28-30. But the Reds' run-line record is 4-1 when they have been the away favorites. Meanwhile, the Cubs' run-line record is 6-5 when they have been the underdog at home. Even more, the Reds have a run-line record of 3-4 against their division, while the Cubs are an abysmal 5-12. The Reds won the series opener 5-4, indicating that the Cubs may very well cover the spread here. But the Cubs have not exactly defended their home field well recently, going 1-10 in their run-line mark over their last 11 games. Subsequently, they are just 3-4 against the spread over their past seven home games against the Reds. This has all the makings of another similar situation.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Reds-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati Reds: -1.5 (+160)
