Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds 5/20/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Great American Ball Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Yu Darvish vs. Tyler Mahle

The Chicago Cubs head to Great American Ball Park on Sunday, May 20, 2018 to take on the Cincinnati Reds. The expected starting pitchers are Yu Darvish for the Cubs and Tyler Mahle for the Reds.

The odds for this matchup have Chicago at -161 and Cincinnati at +151. The Cubs have a 17-22-2 over/under mark and a 20-21-0 run line record. The Reds are 23-22-0 against the run line and have a 20-23-2 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 17-22-2 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 20-21-0 against the run line

Important Cincinnati Reds Betting Trends

The Cincinnati Reds are 20-23-2 against the over/under

The Cincinnati Reds are 23-22-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

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

05/18/18 3B Eugenio Suarez Ankle is "?" Saturday 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 23-18 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Yu Darvish has a 0-3 record with an earned run average of 5.56 and a WHIP of 1.53 this year. He has 42 strikeouts over his 34 innings pitched and he's given up 34 hits. He allows 9 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.11. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.73 and they have given up 110 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .197 against the bullpen and they've struck out 152 hitters and walked 76 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.6 batters per nine innings. They are 4th in the league in team earned run average at 3.4. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 306 base hits and 142 earned runs. They have allowed 43 home runs this season, ranking them 26th in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 179 batters and struck out 357. They have walked 4.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.29 and their FIP as a unit is 4.28.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .256, good for 8th in the league. The Cubs hold a .425 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .336, which is good for 4th in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 9.1 hits per game. Javier Baez is hitting .264 with an on-base percentage of .298. He has 42 hits this season in 159 at bats with 37 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .560 and an OPS+ of 124. Kris Bryant is hitting .303 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .425. He has totaled 43 hits and he has driven in 22 men in 142 at bats. His OPS+ is 171 while his slugging percentage is at .592. The Cubs have 372 hits, including 79 doubles and 46 home runs. Chicago has walked 150 times so far this season and they have struck out 342 times as a unit. They have left 320 men on base and have a team OPS of .762. They score 5.29 runs per contest and have scored a total of 217 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Cincinnati has a 15-30 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.34, Tyler Mahle has a 3-5 record and a 1.34 WHIP this season. He has 46 strikeouts over the 47.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 48 hits. He allows 9.1 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 5.01. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.06 and they have given up 160 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .240 against the Reds bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 175 batters and walked 75 opposing hitters. As a team, Cincinnati allows 9.2 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.9 batters per nine innings. They are 26th in the league in team earned run average at 4.88. The Reds pitchers as a team have surrendered 409 base knocks and 216 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 161 hitters and struck out 352 batters. They give up a walk 3.6 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.43 while their FIP as a staff is 4.69.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .243, good for 18th in the league. The Reds hold a .383 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .320, which is good for 14th in baseball. They rank 19th in MLB with 8.3 hits per contest. Jose Peraza comes into this matchup batting .263 with an OBP of .283. He has 47 hits this year along with 10 RBI in 179 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .346 with an OPS+ of 72. Joey Votto is hitting .284 this season and he has an OBP of .411. He has collected 44 hits in 155 at bats while driving in 24 runs. He has an OPS+ of 132 and a slugging percentage of .432. The Reds as a unit have 372 base hits, including 74 doubles and 44 homers. Cincinnati has walked 160 times this year and they have struck out on 365 occasions. They have had 333 men left on base and have an OPS of .703. They have scored 4.11 runs per game and totaled 185 runs this season.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Reds +151

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