For a meeting between two teams who were unable to keep up in the postseason race, the Cincinnati Reds will bring in the Chicago Cubs for the season finale Wednesday afternoon.
Clubs’ Sixth Matchup
This will be these clubs’ sixth matchup in a row. Let’s dive into this one before making a Reds vs. Cubs prediction.
The Cubbies swept Cincy in a three-game slate in the Windy City, but the Reds have won the last two at their own place. They’ll look for a sweep of their own at home.
On Tuesday, Cincinnati earned a walk-off win in their half of the ninth, coming out on the right side of a 3-2 decision.
It was third baseman Spencer Steer’s double that finished matters. That brought in left fielder Stuart Fairchild.
Two-run Advantage
Chicago held a two-run advantage earlier in the contest thanks to solo home runs by catcher Willson Contreras and shortstop Nico Hoerner.
Cincy backstop Chuckie Robinson went long in the bottom of the seventh, pushing across shortstop Jose Barrero and knotting things up at two apiece.
Alexis Diaz was credited with the win on the mound — his seventh of the campaign. He went 1.1 frames, punching out two and earning another decision to go with his ten saves.
For the Reds, Robinson was the only batter with more than one knock. Contreras did the same for Chicago.
The Cubs (73-88) are 36-44 on the road this year, which is about the same as they are at Wrigley Field. Going into this, their last game of the year, they’re 20 games behind the arch-rival St. Louis Cardinals, who claimed a National League Central crown and are headed to the playoffs.
Reds’ Standings
Cincy (62-99) aims to dodge its 100th loss of the season; a mark Pittsburgh reached on Tuesday against the Redbirds. In terms of the Reds’ standings, the Pirates are the only team behind them.
Cincy is 33-47 at home in 2022, a mark that will have to improve next season if they want to climb any higher.
With franchise stalwart Joey Votto out for the year on the MLB injury report, shortstop Kyle Farmer has taken over as Cincy’s most dependable player with the lumber. He’s hitting .254, with 14 dingers, 78 RBIs, a .315 on-base percentage, and 133 total hits.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs Odds Breakdown
The bookmakers lean toward the away squad. Chicago is -1.5 on the run line at +136, while the Reds are -164 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Cubs are -126 and Cincy a +108 underdog. The total has been set at 8.5 runs, with the over being -112 and the under -108 at the time of this writing.
At the dish for the Cubbies, Hoerner leads with a .280 batting average. Third baseman Patrick Wisdom has clubbed 25 home runs, while left fielder Ian Happ has 72 RBIs. The latter also sports a .342 on-base percentage and 155 total hits.
Contreras, Happ, Hoerner, center fielder Christopher Morel, and right fielder Seiya Suzuki have all recorded double-digit long balls this season for Chicago.
When it comes to making our Reds vs. Cubs prediction, it appears that the Cubs possess the stronger offense. Let’s check out the pitching matchup, as well.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
Starting Pitchers
On the mound for the home team will be Graham Ashcraft, who’s 5-5 in 18 starts this year. He also has a 4.52 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.
Adrian Sampson (4-5) will go for the Cubs.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs Picks and Predictions
This one doesn’t have much on the line in terms of anything but pride, but that doesn’t mean there’s no money to be made by wagering.
It’s now time for our Reds vs. Cubs prediction.
Unfortunately for the Cincy fans — or what’s left of them coming to the ballpark — the Reds will drop into triple digits in the loss column.
Go with Chicago to cover the spread and end the season on a high note. The Cubs’ odds are solid enough to take.
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