Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs Betting Pick & Prediction 5/31/24
From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have the Reds and Cubs facing off in an NL Central matchup. Friday’s matchup is set to get started at 2:20 PM ET. MARQ will be televising this one, and the Cubs are the favorites on the money line (-148).
The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the Reds are starting Graham Ashcraft. Chicago will have Javier Assad on the mound. They are 28-29, while the Reds are 24-32 and have lost two straight.
CHICAGO CUBS VS CINCINNATI REDS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline -148
This game will be played at Wrigley Field at 2:20 ET on Friday, May 31st.
HOW TO BET THE REDS VS CUBS:
- We have the Cubs winning by a score of 6 to 5
- However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the Reds to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over
Reds Records & Stats
Heading into their last game vs. the Cardinals, the Reds closed out the series with a 5-3 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 8th inning before the Cardinals scored three runs in the top of the 8th. Cincinnati was the -124 favorite at home going into the game.
Frankie Montas was handed the loss but pitched well for the Reds, going six innings and giving up just three earned runs, and striking out five. However, the Reds couldnjson’t close things out, and Nick Martini took the loss out of the bullpen. The Reds also wasted a big game from Elly De La Cruz, who went 2/5 with a run scored.
Cincinnati is 5th in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by nine games. Overall, the Reds are 24-32 as they visit the Cubs today. The Reds lost the final two games of their series vs. the Cardinals and are just 5-5 over their last 10 games.
As the road team today, the Reds are 7-14 as the underdog this season. Cincinnati’s overall series record is 5-12-1, and they are 11-12 when favored this year. They have won three straight games as the underdog, and their road record is 10-15.
Even though the Reds have a losing record overall, they have been profitable on the run line this season, going 29-27. They have been especially good on the run line on the road, going 16-9. They have been a good bet as an underdog, going 19-14 on the run line. They have been a good bet to cover the run line in their last three games as an underdog.
The Cincinnati Reds are on the road today against the Chicago Cubs. The O/U line for the game is set at 8 runs. Cincinnati’s games have averaged a combined 8.3 runs per game this season, and their O/U record is 25-29. Their games have had an average O/U line of 9 runs per game, and their record when the line is set at 8 runs is 3-4. Their games have had O/U lines set at 8 runs or higher in 66.1% of their games this season, and their current O/U streak is 5 games to the under.
Cincinnati is sending right-hander Graham Ashcraft to the mound today as he faces the Cubs on the road. Ashcraft has made 10 starts this season and has a record of 4-3 with a 4.67 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .265 this season, and Ashcraft has a WHIP of 1.44. In his 10 starts, he has turned in three quality starts and is coming off a game in which he gave up three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Ashcraft has given up at least one homer in three straight outings.
Elly De La Cruz has been a bright spot for the Reds this season, batting .249 with a team-high nine home runs. He is also 2nd on the team with 24 RBIs. Spencer Steer and Will Benson are also near the top of the team’s home run leaderboard, but both players are batting under .230 for the season. Over his last five games, Benson has gone 3/8 with two homers.
As a team, the Reds are near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories, including batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. They are also averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 21st in the MLB. Currently, both Jeimer Candelario and Jake Fraley are on solid hitting streaks for the Reds.
Cubs Records & Stats
The Cubs will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Brewers with a 6-4 loss. Chicago was the +105 underdog on the road going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Cubs, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Brewers scored three times in the bottom of the second.
Chicago started Jameson Taillon, and he took the loss, going six innings and giving up three earned runs on six hits. The Cubs also wasted a big game from Cody Bellinger, who homered in the 2nd inning, going 2/4.
Chicago is set to host the Reds with an overall record of 28-29, and they trail the Brewers by 5.5 games in the NL Central. The Cubs are 3rd in the division and have gone just 6-10 in divisional matchups this year. Chicago lost the final two games of their series vs. the Brewers.
At home, the Cubs are 15-11 compared to 13-18 on the road. As the favorite, the Cubs have gone 12-11 this year and 16-18 as the underdog. The Cubs have dropped four straight games as the favorite. So far, their overall series record is 7-9-2, and they have dropped five straight series.
Chicago has a run line record of 29-28 on the season, including an 11-15 mark at home. The Cubs have a -0.2 average run margin on the year, with a -0.8 margin on the road and a +0.6 margin at home. They are 18-13 against the run line on the road, and have failed to cover the run line in their last two home games. They have been the run line favorite in 20 games, going 6-14 in those contests.
The Cubs have been involved in games with a combined run average of 8.7 this season, and their over/under record is 25-30. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, they have gone 2-8. Overall, 43.9% of their games have had over/under lines set at over 8 runs, and their current over streak is at 3 games.
Right-hander Javier Assad gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Reds at home. He has made 11 starts this year and has a record of 4-1 with an ERA of 2.17. So far, Assad has turned in three quality starts and is averaging 8.38 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One of those wins was a shutout outing against the Braves. Assad has been much better at home, with an ERA of 1.47 compared to 2.98 on the road.
Chicago’s offense comes into the game averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 16th in the league. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting just .228, which is 21st in the league, and their team slugging percentage of .368 is also 20th in the MLB. However, they do have a good team walk rate and have the league’s 4th best on-base percentage.
Christopher Morel has been a bright spot for the Cubs this season, leading the team with 10 home runs. However, he is batting just .198. Cody Bellinger and Michael Busch are tied for 2nd on the team with 8 homers, with Bellinger’s 26 RBIs being the 2nd best mark on the team. Bellinger is also on a six-game hitting streak and has gone 12/43 in his last 10 games.