Reds vs. Cubs Pick
The Chicago Cubs are a big favorite Wednesday at Wrigley Field versus the Cincinnati Reds. Game time is 8:05PM EST.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Cubs are a -196 favorite to win and the -1.5 runline is set at +105. The Reds have a line set at +168 and their +1.5 runline is -125. The over-under is set at 9.5.
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Homer Bailey (4-6, 8.31 ERA) takes the mound for the Reds and he opposes the Cubs’ John Lackey (10-9, 4.82). Bailey has lived up to his first name since returning from injury, serving up eight homers in 47 2/3 innings. He has actually been decent in five of his last eight starts, but in those other three he has gotten torched for a total of 23 earned runs in 13 1/3 innings. Which Bailey will we see tonight? Lackey has fallen off since helping the Cubs win the World Series last year, giving up 29 home runs of his own in 125 innings. But the Cubs have won his last six starts and he hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in any of them.
This is game three of a four-game series, with the Cubs taking the opener 15-5 before their bats went cold in Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat. Chicago is 62-56 this year and 32-27 at home, while the Reds are 50-70 and 21-39 away from home.
Cincinnati scored once in the eighth and one in the ninth Tuesday to break a scoreless tie, receiving a sacrifice fly from Scooter Gennett and an RBI single from Billy Hamilton. The Cubs plated on in the ninth on a Ben Zobrist RBI single.
The fact that Lackey seems to be on a decent track lately is encouraging for the Cubs, plus after letting one slip through their grasp a day earlier expect them to lay it on a pitcher who has had some massive struggles in Bailey.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: CHICAGO CUBS RL -105