Chicago heads into Sunday's matchup vs. the Reds looking to complete the sweep, as they have won two straight and are 83-78 overall. However, they come into the game as +104 underdogs on the money line. The Reds are 76-85 and are starting Hunter Greene. They are 5th in the NL Central. The money line odds for the Reds are -124.
Today's over/under line is currently at 7 runs, and the game will get started at 3:20 PM ET from Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. BSOH is carrying this one on TV.
Cincinnati vs. Chicago Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Reds at Cubs
- Where: Wrigley Field Chicago
- Date: Sunday, September 29th
- Betting Odds CIN -124 | CHC +104 O/U 7
Reds vs Cubs Last Game Recap
Chicago cruised to a 3-0 win over the Reds in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 8th inning, scoring all three of their runs. As for the Reds, they had their best chance to score in the 7th but left the bases loaded. Heading into the game, the Cubs were favored at -130.
Kyle Hendricks started for the Cubs and picked up the win, going 7 1/3 innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with just two strikeouts and allowed two hits. Rhett Lowder got the start for the Reds and took the loss, going five innings and giving up three earned runs on three hits.
At the plate, the Cubs were led by Seiya Suzuki, who went 2/2 with a run scored. He was the only Cubs hitter to have more than one hit. Cincinnati's top hitter was Jonathan India, who also went 2/2.
Reds Preview
As the road favorite, the Reds have a 12-6 straight-up record this season, and they are 37-43 on the road overall. Cincinnati's run line record on the road is 48-32, and they are 57-35 as underdogs against the run line. Their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season, and the over/under record is 73-81.
Cincinnati is currently on a five-game losing streak and has an overall record of 76-85 this season. They are in 5th place in the NL Central, 17 games behind the Brewers. The Reds' series record this season is 19-29-3, and their average run differential in wins is +3.8.
Hunter Greene is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Pirates, as he gets the start for the Reds today. In that September 22nd start, he took the loss, going 3 innings and giving up 1 earned run on 2 hits. Before that outing, he had pitched well, going 7 innings vs. the Cardinals and giving up just 1 earned run. Greene has a record of 9-5 this season and an ERA of 2.83. Out of his 25 starts, Greene has turned in 13 quality starts and is averaging 10.21 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, he has allowed 12 homers and is averaging 3.32 walks per nine innings.
Elly De La Cruz has been one of the Reds' most consistent hitters this season, batting .259 with a team-leading 25 home runs and 74 RBIs. He has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 11/38 in his last nine games. De La Cruz has also gone deep once during that stretch. Spencer Steer and Jeimer Candelario are also tied for 2nd on the team with 20 homers, but both players are batting below .230 for the season.
As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.3 runs per game and are 16th in the league in home runs. However, they are just 19th in batting average and have the 23rd most strikeouts in the league. Currently, Nick Martini is on a three-game hitting streak for the Reds.
Cubs Preview
Chicago is 6-4 in their last 10 games and has won two straight. They are 44-36 at home and 39-42 on the road this season. The Cubs are 45-38 as favorites and 14-10 as underdogs at home.
The Cubs are in 2nd place in the NL Central, ten games behind the Brewers, with an 83-78 record. Their run line record is 78-83, and their games have averaged 8.7 runs this season, resulting in a 75-80 over/under record. The O/U line for today's game is set at 7 runs.
Caleb Kilian will be making his first start of the season for the Cubs, as he comes into the game after a bullpen appearance against the Phillies. In that outing, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs on 4 hits, with 3 of those being earned runs. Kilian struck out 8 batters in that outing, but he did allow a pair of home runs.
So far this season, the Cubs are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 12th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .243, which is 12th in the league, and are also one of the better teams in terms of drawing walks. The Cubs are also 9th in the league in on-base percentage.
Over his last nine games, Nico Hoerner has gone 12/32 (.375) with two homers and seven runs batted in. For the season, he is batting .274. Seiya Suzuki comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak and is 2nd on the team with 21 homers. Ian Happ and Michael Busch are the Cubs' leaders in homers, with 25 and are 1st and 4th in RBIs, respectively.
Reds vs. Cubs Prediction: Cubs ML +104
We see the Cubs as a great pick today, and with them being the underdogs, there is a lot of value in taking them on the money line at +104. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Cubs, giving you some options if you want to look at the over/under line, as the line is currently sitting at 7 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Hunter Greene is projected to finish with nine strikeouts, which is the highest among today's starters. However, we have him finishing with a 4.00 ERA, which is the fourth highest among today's starters.
