Cubs vs. Reds Betting Preview and Total Pick

Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds
Date: Wednesday, July 31st, 7:10 ET
Location: Great American Ball Park
TV: BSOH
Money Line: Cubs +128/Reds -151
Total Line: 9.5

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cubs on Wednesday, July 31st at Great American Ball Park. We provide you with a comprehensive analysis, odds, and predictions to help with your handicapping decision or tail our expert based on the projected lineups and listed starting pitchers.

Betting Odds

Wednesday’s Reds vs. Cubs matchup has a first pitch set for 7:10 PM ET from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The Reds are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -151 compared to the Cubs at +128. The over/under line is currently at 9.5 runs.

Chicago comes into the game with a record of 51-58, while the Reds are 52-55 overall. Kyle Hendricks will start for the Cubs, while the Reds are sending Nick Lodolo to the mound. BSOH is carrying this one on TV.

Cubs vs. Reds Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Chicago Cubs: 51-58 SU / OU 45-60 / Runline 52-57
Cincinnati Reds: 52-55 SU / OU 46-57 / Runline 57-50

The Reds offense only had two more hits than the Cubs in the most recent game of this series, but still picked up a 6-3 win. Heading into the game, they were at +111 on the money line.

Cincinnati got off to a fast start in the game, scoring two runs in the first and adding three more in the 2nd. On the other side, the Cubs didn’t get on the board until the 6th and added their final run in the 7th.

Santiago Espinal was the difference for the Reds, as he went 4/4 with a home run and two RBIs. Tyler Stephenson and TJ Friedl each drove in two for Cincinnati’s offense.

Cubs Records & Recent Play

With an overall record of 51-58, the Cubs are 5th in the NL Central, 11 games behind the Brewers for the division lead. So far, they have gone just 13-25 in divisional games. The Cubs will also be looking to snap a two-game losing streak today, and they are 4-6 across their last 10 games.

Chicago has been a bit better at home this year, going 27-25 compared to 24-33 on the road. As the underdog, the Cubs are 18-25 this year and 23-27 when favored. The Cubs have been the underdog for two straight games, and they have won two straight as the underdog.

The Cubs are 33-24 against the run line on the road this season, with an average run margin of -0.5 runs per game. They are 2-0 against the run line as an underdog in their last two games, and they are 39-20 against the run line as an underdog overall this season.

Chicago Cubs games have an over/under record of 45-60 this season, with an average combined run average of 8.3. Their games have averaged an over/under line of 8 runs, but when the line has been set at 9.5 runs, the over/under record is 5-4. Only 6.4% of their games have had higher over/under lines than today’s 9.5, and their last two games have gone under the total.

Reds Records & Recent Play

Cincinnati is 52-55 overall and trails the Brewers by nine games in the NL Central. The Reds have gone 14-14 in divisional games this year and have won two straight games overall. These two wins have come at the start of their series vs. the Cubs.

At home, the Reds are 27-28 this year and have gone 25-27 on the road. As the favorite, the Reds are 26-23 this year and 26-32 as the underdog. So far, they have an overall series record of 11-19-3.

The Reds have a run line record of 57-50 this season, and they have been a better bet on the road (32-20) than at home (25-30). They have a run line streak of two wins at home and are 36-22 against the run line as the underdog. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.7, while it’s -2.7 in losses.

The Cincinnati Reds are set to host the Chicago Cubs with an over/under line of 9.5 runs. The Reds have an over/under record of 46-57 on the season, and their games have averaged 8.4 runs per game. The over/under line has been set at 9 runs on average for their games this season, and when the line has been set at 9.5 runs, the over has hit at a 17-9 clip. The Reds have had just 5 games this season with an over/under line set at 9.5 runs, accounting for just 4.7% of their games. Their games have gone under the total in 71% of their games this season, and they are currently on a 5-game under streak.

Pitching Matchup

Kyle Hendricks gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Reds on the road. This year, he has made 14 starts and has a record of 2-9 with a 6.95 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Hendricks has a WHIP of 1.49 and has allowed a total of 16 home runs. Per nine innings, he is averaging 6.27 strikeouts and just 2.69 walks. In his last outing, Hendricks gave up six earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had a quality start vs. the Cardinals, going seven innings and not allowing a run.

Cincinnati is sending left-hander Nick Lodolo to the mound today vs. the Cubs. He has made 16 starts this season and has a record of 8-3 with a 3.45 ERA. Lodolo has pitched well at home, coming in with a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 4.41. Out of his 16 starts, Lodolo has turned in seven quality starts and is averaging 9.26 strikeouts per nine innings. The last time he pitched, Lodolo finished with a no-decision, going 6 2/3 innings vs. the Rays and giving up two earned runs. He has not taken a loss since June 30th.

Cubs vs. Reds Offense Outlook

So far this season, the Cubs are averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 26th in the league. They have been slightly better on the road (4.2 RPG) compared to at home (4.0 RPG). As a team, they are batting just .232, which is 18th in the league, and their collective on-base percentage of .309 is 13th in the league.

Chicago’s top power bats have been Isaac Paredes and Ian Happ, who both have 16 homers this season. Happ’s 60 RBIs are the best mark on the team, and Paredes is 2nd with 55. Seiya Suzuki is also near the top of the Cubs’ home run leaderboard, as he has gone deep 15 times this year.

Elly De La Cruz has been one of the Reds’ most consistent hitters this season, batting .262 with a team-high 18 home runs. His 45 RBIs are also 3rd in the league. De La Cruz has been even better of late, going 9/25 in his last six games with a home run. Will Benson has also been swinging a good bat of late, going 5/18 with two homers in his last seven games.

As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.4 runs per game and are 15th in home runs. However, they have been a below-average hitting team this season, with a team batting average of just .230. They are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts.

Free Cubs vs. Reds MLB Pick

After taking two of three from the Royals over the weekend, the Cubs have dropped the first two games of this series vs the Reds. The Reds are favored yet again at -151 on the money line. But with Kyle Hendricks struggling in his last two outings and Nick Lodolo has given up four earned runs in two of his past four outings, I am going with the over for today’s game. Look for this one to feature plenty of scoring, and go with the over at 9.5 runs.