The Chicago Cubs (31-34) travel to face off against the Cincinnati Reds (32-33) on Sunday, June 9th. This game will be played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and televised on MARQ. The Reds are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cubs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Reds. First pitch is set for 12:40 CT.

Cubs vs Reds

Cincinnati picked up a 4-3 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. The Reds had a two-run 3rd inning and scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 5th. As for the Cubs, they scored one run in the 6th and added their final run in the 8th.

TJ Friedl was the difference for the Reds, as he homered, scored three times, and finished with three RBIs. Jeimer Candelario also had a two-hit game for Cincinnati. For the Cubs, Dansby Swanson went 3/4 with an RBI.

Andrew Abbott pitched well for the Reds in this one, going five innings and striking out five without giving up a run. He picked up a win in the game, while Justin Wilson got the save. Ben Brown had a rough outing for the Cubs, taking the loss.

Chicago is 31-34 overall and is 5th in the NL Central, 7.5 games behind the Brewers for the division lead. The Cubs have dropped three straight games, and this has come with an overall division record of 7-15. Chicago has lost three straight games at home, and they are just 13-21 on the road this year.

As the road favorite, the Cubs are 4-4 this year and 15-13 overall as the favorite. Chicago has dropped three straight games as the underdog. Heading into today’s game, the Cubs have lost three straight games as the underdog. The team’s overall series record is 8-10-2 this year.

The Cubs are 32-33 ATS this season, including 20-14 on the road. They are 25-12 ATS as the underdog. Their average run differential in wins is +3.0, while it is -3.2 in losses. The Cubs are 2-0 ATS in their last two road games.

The Chicago Cubs are on the road today against the Cincinnati Reds, with the over/under line set at 8.5 runs. The combined run average in Cubs games this season is 8.9, and their over/under record is 30-32. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 9-5. Overall, 52.3% of their games have had lower over/under lines than today’s, and the under has hit in their last two games.

Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs

Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Reds on the road. So far this season, he has made 11 starts and has a record of 5-1 with an ERA of 1.88. Imanaga’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.04. In his 11 appearances, he has turned in six quality starts and is averaging 9.39 strikeouts per nine innings. Imanaga’s last outing came against the White Sox, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up one earned run in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had given up seven earned runs in back-to-back outings.

Cubs Offense Breakdown

Christopher Morel has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Cubs, going 8/30 in his last nine games with three home runs and five RBIs. For the season, he is batting just .202, but his 12 homers are 10th in the league and the most on the Cubs. Cody Bellinger and Michael Busch are tied for 2nd on the team with eight homers apiece.

As a team, the Cubs are batting just .227, which is 18th in the league, and they are also just 17th in scoring. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game. Overall, they are 14th in home runs and have the 3rd best walk rate in the league.

Cincinnati is hosting the Cubs today with an overall record of 32-33, and they have won seven straight games, including taking the first three games of this series vs. the Cubs. In the NL Central, they are 6.5 games behind the Brewers for the division lead.

At home, the Reds are 17-17 this year and 15-16 on the road. As the favorite, the Reds are 17-12 this year and 15-21 as the underdog. Cincinnati’s overall series record is 7-12-1 this year, and they have won two straight series overall and two straight series on the road.

The Reds have been a solid run line bet overall this season, going 35-30. They have been even better on the road, going 21-10. They have been a bad bet at home, going 14-20. Their average run margin is +0.3 runs per game, but they have been outscored at home by 0.2 runs per game. They have been a better bet as an underdog, going 21-15.

At Great American Ball Park, the Reds are 5-6 when the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 30-32 overall. The over/under line for their games has been set at 8.5 runs in 50.8% of their games this season. Their games have gone under the total in two straight games.

Frankie Montas Gets The Start For The Reds

Frankie Montas will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up an earned run and picked up the win. In that start vs. the Rockies, he went seven innings and gave up just one earned run. Looking at his overall numbers, Montas has made 11 starts, and his record is 3-4 with a 4.00 ERA. Opponents have hit .228 off Montas this season, and his WHIP is 1.28. Out of his 11 starts, Montas has turned in four quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7 strikeouts and 3.33 walks.

Reds Offense Breakdown

Elly De La Cruz, Jeimer Candelario, and Spencer Steer are all tied for the team lead in home runs, with De La Cruz and Candelario batting just .238 this season, and Steer is also at the same average. However, Steer is leading the Reds in RBIs, with 40, which is 13th best in the league. De La Cruz and Candelario are 2nd and 3rd in terms of RBIs for the Reds.

De La Cruz and Candelario have both gone 2/5 with two homers over their last five games, and TJ Friedl has also gone deep twice in this stretch while batting .312. Friedl has also driven in six runs in his last five games. Friedl is also on a seven-game hitting streak for the Reds.

Cubs vs Reds Prediction

Our prediction for this Cubs vs. Reds matchup is that the Cubs will pick up a 5-4 road win. Given that, we recommend taking the Cubs on the money line, where they are listed at -126.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we do have Frankie Montas of the Reds finishing with more strikeouts than Shota Imanaga. However, Montas is projected to finish with six K’s, while Imanaga is predicted to end the game with six as well.

Offensively, the Cubs are projected to finish with eight hits, compared to the Reds, who we have getting eight as well. However, the Cubs are predicted to finish with more runs than the Reds, 5-4.

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.