The Chicago Cubs (31-31) travel to face off against the Cincinnati Reds (29-33) on Thursday, June 6th. This game will be played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and televised on MARQ. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 6:10 CT.
Cubs vs Reds
Heading into their last game vs. the White Sox, the Cubs closed out the series with a 7-6 win. Leading up to the game, they were the heavy favorite at -200. Things got tense at the end, as the White Sox pulled to within one run in the 8th, but the Cubs were able to close things out and pick up the win.
Jameson Taillon had a rough outing, giving up five earned runs on 10 hits and issuing a walk. However, the Cubs’s offense picked him up, scoring seven runs on only eight hits. Mike Tauchman went 2/4 with a homer and three RBIs.
With a record of 31-31, the Cubs are 2nd in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by five games. Chicago will be on the road today vs. the Reds, and they are 13-18 on the road this year. The Cubs have gone just 7-12 when playing other teams in the NL Central.
Chicago has won two straight games, and they closed out their series vs. the White Sox with two straight wins. As the road underdog, the Cubs are 9-14 this year, and they are 16-18 as the underdog overall. So far, they have gone 15-13 as the favorite.
When it comes to the run line, the Cubs have been a better bet on the road than at home, going 18-13. They have a negative run differential on the road (-0.8) but have been able to cover the run line more often than not. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 23-11 vs. the run line. They have been a terrible bet as the favorite, going 7-21 vs. the run line.
The Chicago Cubs are on the road today against the Cincinnati Reds, with the over/under line set at 9 runs. The Cubs have a combined run average of 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 29-30. Their average over/under line for the season is 8 runs per game, and their over/under record when the line is set at 9 runs is 3-4-2. The Cubs have had 6 games this season with over/under lines set at 9 runs, accounting for 9.7% of their games played.
Javier Assad Gets The Start For The Cubs
Javier Assad is starting for the Cubs today and comes into the game with a record of 4-1 and an ERA of 2.27. So far, he has made 12 starts, and opponents are batting .210 this season. Assad has made three quality starts this year and is averaging 8.67 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One thing to note is that Assad has given up at least one homer in three straight outings.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Over his last nine games, Christopher Morel has gone deep twice for the Cubs, but he is hitting just .207 during that stretch. For the season, Morel is batting just .203. The good news for the Cubs is that Cody Bellinger and Michael Busch are both in the top 12 in the league in home runs and are hitting .258 and .238, respectively.
Chicago is hoping that Nico Hoerner can continue to be a tough out at the plate, as he is batting .255 for the season and has a solid OBP of .342. Ian Happ has been swinging a good bat of late, going 9/33 in his last nine games, with two homers and 10 RBIs. Overall, he is batting just .220.
Cincinnati closed out their series vs. the Rockies with an impressive 12-7 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -143 on the money line. It was a four-run 1st inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Rockies could only score four runs the rest of the game. Cincinnati’s offense went on to add another six runs in the 3rd inning.
Graham Ashcraft got the start for the Reds and picked up the win. He only lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs, but the Reds’ offense bailed him out, scoring 12 runs. Jeimer Candelario went 2/5 with a homer and two RBIs, and Jonathan India was only jsonly 1/3, but he drove in five runs with a homer.
Cincinnati is hosting the Cubs today with a record of 29-33, which has them 5th in the NL Central. The Reds are seven games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. Cincinnati heads into today’s game on a four-game winning streak, and they closed out their series vs. the Rockies with three straight wins.
At home, the Reds are 14-17 this year compared to 15-16 on the road. As the favorite, the Reds are 14-12 this year and 15-21 as the underdog. Cincinnati’s overall series record is 7-12-1, but they have won two straight series and both of those have come on the road.
When the Reds win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.9 runs per game. When they lose, they lose big, with an average run margin of -3.1 runs per game. Their overall run line record is 34-28, and they are 21-10 against the run line on the road. Their average run margin for the season is +0.2 runs per game.
The Cincinnati Reds have played in 61 games this season, and the over/under line has been set at 9 runs in 50% of them. Their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game, and their over/under record for the season is 29-30. When the over/under line has been set at 9 runs, their record is 1-8-2. They have played in 20 games with an over/under line set higher than 9 runs, which accounts for 32.3% of their games.
Hunter Greene Gets The Start For The Reds
Hunter Greene is looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he gave up five earned runs in six innings of work vs. the Cubs. In that outing, he gave up three walks and a home run. Greene’s record for the season is 3-2, and his ERA is 3.44. Looking at his overall numbers, Greene has made 12 starts, one of which was a complete game, and he has five quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 9.68 strikeouts and 3.82 walks. The right-hander has been much better on the road, coming in with a 3.03 ERA compared to 3.77 at home.
Reds Offense Breakdown
Jeimer Candelario has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Reds, going 12/39 in his last nine games, including three home runs. He also has six RBIs during this stretch. Candelario has a five-game hitting streak coming into today’s game. Spencer Steer is also on a five-game hitting streak and has gone 12/37 in his last nine games with five RBIs.
Spencer Steer and Candelario are 3rd and 2nd on the team in home runs, respectively, with Steer leading the team in RBIs (40) and Candelario being 3rd with 25 RBIs. As a team, the Reds are 13th in home runs and are averaging 4.4 runs per game. Their team batting average of .228 is 20th in the league.
Cubs vs Reds Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Cubs vs. Reds matchup is that the Reds will pick up a 6-5 win at home. With the money line sitting at -126, we like this payout and would recommend taking the Reds to win straight up.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, Hunter Greene is projected to finish with eight strikeouts, which is the highest among all starters today. As for Javier Assad, he is projected to finish with just five K’s.
Looking at the Cubs lineup, they are projected to finish with just nine hits, which is the fifth lowest in the league today. As for the Reds, they are projected to finish with eight hits, and their offense is also projected to finish with 13th in home runs.
If you’re looking for a final score prediction, we have the Reds winning 6-5.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 6, 2024 Cubs, Reds