The Chicago Cubs take on the Cincinnati Reds in the Field of Dreams Game. Check out our MLB Field of Dreams Game odds preview for our Cubs Reds prediction and pick.
Drew Smyly starts for the Cubs, while Nick Lodolo goes to the mound for the Reds.
Drew Smyly has a 3.97 ERA. He has struggled for much of the season, but there are signs that he is improving and is managing to iron out his flaws and weaknesses. In three of his last four starts, Smyly has allowed no more than one earned run. In his most recent start on Aug. 6, he shut out the Marlins in 6 2/3 innings of strong work. Smyly pitched a strong game against the Philadelphia Phillies in late July, which really seemed to propel Smyly's season and give the lefty a lot more confidence. Interestingly enough, the Phillies have been a much better team since losing to Smyly. It was as though that loss shook them into a greater sense of urgency and awareness. Smyly, who has been part of postseason pitching staffs in the past, is an experienced pitcher. He is making adjustments, and we'll see if they continue to pay off for him and the Cubs.
Nick Lodolo has a 4.40 ERA, which is not particularly good. However, he had a 5.81 ERA on July 16 and has shaved 1.41 runs off his ERA in his last three starts. He pitched a very strong game against the surging Baltimore Orioles on July 31, going six innings and allowing only one run. Lodolo hasn't always gained the official decision as the winning pitcher in games he has started, but the Reds have won his starts against a number of good teams this season: the Rays, the Cardinals, the Orioles, and the Mets. Lodolo has given his team chances to win games against quality opposition. He has certainly been inconsistent, but he has shown a measure of upside which gives the Cincinnati organization legitimate hope that Lodolo can be a lot better in 2023 and beyond.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Cubs-Reds MLB Field of Dreams Game odds.
Field of Dreams Game Odds: Cubs-Reds Odds
Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (+146)
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-176)
Over: 9 (-102)
Under: 9 (-120)
Why The Cubs Could Cover the Spread
Since the All-Star break — actually, since their pre-All-Star break series against the Mets — the Cubs have gotten consistently strong pitching. They simply aren't allowing games to unravel and slip away from them, in marked contrast to April, May and June. The Cubs' entire pitching staff has an ERA under three runs since the All-Star break. The Reds have some talent in their batting order, but they are not a consistent hitting team. The Cubs have a great chance to continue their pitching mastery and chart a different course for the season. What should also be said is that retaining Willson Contreras and Ian Happ — while obviously confusing in a larger organizational sense — has certainly improved the mood of the clubhouse and given players a tighter bond. That seems to be paying off in the short term for Chicago.
Why The Reds Could Cover the Spread
After their absolutely horrible start to the season, in which they fell 19 games below .500 before Mother's Day, the Reds have been close to a .500 team. They're 22 games under .500 for the season, but since they started the season 3-22, they're 41-44 in the 85 games since then. That should affect everyone's perception of how good (and bad) the Reds truly are. If you think of the Reds as a slightly-below .500 team and not a 44-66 team, your view of this team will change. The Reds are arguably a better team than the Cubs.
Final Cubs-Reds Prediction & Pick
This is a very special game in a very special setting: a cornfield in Iowa. You might really want to pick this game, and that's understandable, but a special one-off game such as this, in a situation none of the players are used to, is precisely the kind of game you should stay away from. If you insist on a pick, take the hot-pitching momentum of the Cubs.
Final Cubs-Reds Prediction & Pick: Cubs -1.5
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