Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds 5/18/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Friday, May 18, 2018

Great American Ball Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Kyle Hendricks vs. Homer Bailey

The Chicago Cubs head to Great American Ball Park on Friday, May 18, 2018 to take on the Cincinnati Reds. The expected starting pitchers are Kyle Hendricks for the Cubs and Homer Bailey for the Reds.

The odds for this matchup have Chicago at -163 and Cincinnati at +153. The Cubs have a 17-22-1 over/under mark and a 19-21-0 run line record. The Reds are 23-21-0 against the run line and have a 20-23-1 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 17-22-1 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 19-21-0 against the run line

Important Cincinnati Reds Betting Trends

The Cincinnati Reds are 20-23-1 against the over/under

The Cincinnati Reds are 23-21-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

05/08/18 RF Jason Heyward Concussion 10-day DL (05/08)
04/21/18 P Eddie Butler Groin 10-day DL (04/20)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Key Cincinnati Reds Injuries

05/16/18 3B Eugenio Suarez Ankle is "?" Friday vs Chicago Cubs
03/30/18 P Michael Lorenzen Shoulder 10-day DL (03/29)
03/26/18 P Rookie Davis Hip 60-day DL (03/02)
03/26/18 P Anthony DeSclafani Oblique 60-day DL (03/29)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Cubs have a 22-18 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks has a 3-3 record with an earned run average of 3.20 and a WHIP of 1.03 this year. He has 38 strikeouts over his 50.2 innings pitched and he's given up 43 hits. He allows 7.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.6. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.79 and they have given up 110 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .201 against the bullpen and they've struck out 145 hitters and walked 74 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.4 batters per nine innings. They are 6th in the league in team earned run average at 3.46. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 304 base hits and 141 earned runs. They have allowed 42 home runs this season, ranking them 26th in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 176 batters and struck out 342. They have walked 4.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.4 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.31 and their FIP as a unit is 4.33.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .253, good for 10th in the league. The Cubs hold a .425 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .332, which is good for 3rd in baseball. They rank 8th in MLB with 8.9 hits per game. Javier Baez is hitting .266 with an on-base percentage of .301. He has 41 hits this season in 154 at bats with 36 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .571 and an OPS+ of 128. Kris Bryant is hitting .301 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .429. He has totaled 41 hits and he has driven in 22 men in 136 at bats. His OPS+ is 172 while his slugging percentage is at .596. The Cubs have 357 hits, including 76 doubles and 46 home runs. Chicago has walked 142 times so far this season and they have struck out 337 times as a unit. They have left 306 men on base and have a team OPS of .757. They score 5.22 runs per contest and have scored a total of 209 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Cincinnati has a 15-29 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 5.59, Homer Bailey has a 1-5 record and a 1.45 WHIP this season. He has 29 strikeouts over the 48.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 55 hits. He allows 10.2 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 6.16. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.05 and they have given up 155 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .238 against the Reds bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 173 batters and walked 72 opposing hitters. As a team, Cincinnati allows 9.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 8 batters per nine innings. They are 25th in the league in team earned run average at 4.8. The Reds pitchers as a team have surrendered 394 base knocks and 208 earned runs this season. They have given up 64 home runs this year, which ranks 1st in Major League Baseball. Cincinnati as a staff has walked 153 hitters and struck out 347 batters. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.40 while their FIP as a staff is 4.69.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .247, good for 15th in the league. The Reds hold a .387 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .323, which is good for 13th in baseball. They rank 16th in MLB with 8.4 hits per contest. Jose Peraza comes into this matchup batting .269 with an OBP of .290. He has 47 hits this year along with 10 RBI in 175 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .354 with an OPS+ of 75. Joey Votto is hitting .289 this season and he has an OBP of .414. He has collected 44 hits in 152 at bats while driving in 24 runs. He has an OPS+ of 134 and a slugging percentage of .441. The Reds as a unit have 370 base hits, including 74 doubles and 43 homers. Cincinnati has walked 157 times this year and they have struck out on 350 occasions. They have had 330 men left on base and have an OPS of .710. They have scored 4.18 runs per game and totaled 184 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Cubs/Reds MLB game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Reds +153

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