It is game two of a Friday double-header as the Chicago Cubs face the Cincinnati Reds. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Cubs-Reds prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Cubs enter the doubleheader with the Reds after taking two of three from the Brewers this week. It was dominant pitching that got them the two wins. While the Cubs gave up eight runs in the series, six of them came in the game one loss. For the Cubs, they are now 71-62 on the season. That places them three games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. It also places them in the second Wild Card spot, 1.5 games above the third-slotted Giants and 2.5 games over the Diamondbacks.

Meanwhile, the Reds won the last game of the series with the Giants to avoid the sweep. They have lost five of their last seven games now against teams they are competing with for playoff spots. Still, the Reds are hoping to make a push toward the playoffs, adding some veteran outfielders on waivers this week. The Reds are now 69-63 on the season, which places them six games behind the Brewers in the division. They are also 1.5 games behind the Giants in the chase for the last Wild Card spot.

Here are the Cubs-Reds MLB odds, courtesy of Caesars. 

MLB Odds: Cubs-Reds Odds

Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (+135)

Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-160)

Over: 9.5 (-105)

Under: 9.5 (-115)

How To Watch Cubs vs. Reds

TV: MARQ/BSOH

Stream: MLB.TV

Time: 6:40 PM ET/ 3:40 PM PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Cubs Could Cover The Spread

The Cubs got great pitching in their series with the Brewers, and that has been more regular for them as of late. On the season they are 15th in the majors in team ERA, while sitting 14th in WHIP and 13th in opponent batting average. With Jordan Wicks set to go in game one of the series, this would be the normal spot for Javier Assad, but he is slated to go in the game tomorrow. That could lead to a bullpen game for the Cubs. They have a 3.93 ERA right now as a bullpen, with a 1.28 WHIP. Both rank in the top half in the majors, and could lead to another solid game for the Cubs.

On the offensive end of things, the Cubs are sixth in runs while sitting 14th in batting average, ninth in on-base percentage, and 15th in slugging. Cody Bellinger has been driving in a lot of runs for the Cubs as of late. In the last week, he is hitting .259, but with the help of two doubles, he has driven in nine runs. Bellinger has also stolen a base and scored four times in the last week. Right behind him is Ian Happ. Happ has six RBIs in the last week while hitting,348 with a .423 on-base percentage. He has two home runs and four RBIs in that time, while also scoring five runs.

Patrick Wisdom last played on Monday, and if could go again he could be a nice addition to the lineup. This month he has three home runs and five RBIs in just 23 at-bats. The third base has been filled by Jeimer Candelario and Nick Madrigal as of late. Both are hitting under .200 in the last week and while Candelario has four RBIs in the last week, having Wisdom every day will help the offense. As a whole, the Cubs are not hitting great. They are hitting just .219 in the last week, but the at-bats have been productive. They have scored 27 times with an expected runs scored of just 20.2 runs.

Why The Reds Could Cover The Spread

While the Cubs' pitching has been solid, the Reds have not been as solid this year. They are 24th in team ERA while sitting 23rd in WHIP and 24th in opponent batting average. With John Ashcraft scheduled to go in game one, and Andrew Abbott set to go tomorrow, the Reds may be going with a bullpen game as well. The Reds sit just behind the Cubs in terms of bullpen ERA at 3.94, while they have a 1.33 WHIP. They recently went with the bullpen game in an 8-7 victory over the Diamondbacks. While Ben Lively did not get the start, he did pitch 5.2 innings in the game. While he gave up just three runs in that one, the last time he started he gave up 13 runs in four innings to these Cubs.

On the offensive side of things, the Reds are tenth in the majors in runs scored, while sitting 18th in batting average 14th in on-base percentage, and 16th in slugging. Nick Martini has been the most productive bat as of late. He is hitting .389 in the last week with an on-base percentage of .450. He has hit a double and two home runs leading to six RBIs and three runs scored. Joining him in production in Christian Encarnacion-Strand. He has hit .333 in the last week with a .391 on-base percentage. Encarnacion-Strand also has three doubles and a home run, leading to four RBIs and two runs scored.

Still, the Reds have struggled at the plate overall. They are hitting just .209 in the last week with a .261 on-base percentage. Like the Cubs, they have made the most of some opportunities. Their expected runs scored is sitting at 18.4 in the last week, but they have scored 24 times. They have struggled with strikeouts though, striking out 60 times in the last week, which is an average of six per game.

Final Cubs-Reds Prediction & Pick

This should be a solid game. With both teams looking more likely to use their bullpen in this game, there is not a major difference between the two bullpens. The Cubs do have a slightly better bullpen overall, and they have done better in their bullpen-only games as of late. They are also hitting a little better than the Reds as of late. Take the Cubs to get the win in this one in a close game.

Final Cubs-Reds Prediction & Pick: Cubs -1.5 (+135)