Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs 8/23/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Wrigley Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Anthony DeSclafani vs. Cole Hamels

Wrigley Field is the site of the matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, August 23, 2018. The probable starting pitchers are Anthony DeSclafani for the Reds and Cole Hamels for the Cubs.

Cincinnati opens at +207 while Chicago opens at -225. The Reds have a 66-55-5 over/under record and a 71-55-0 run line mark. The Cubs are 62-62-0 against the run line and have a 55-67-2 over/under record.

Valuable Cincinnati Reds Betting Trends

The Cincinnati Reds are 66-55-5 against the over/under

The Cincinnati Reds are 71-55-0 against the run line

Important Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 55-67-2 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 62-62-0 against the run line

Key Cincinnati Reds Injuries

08/17/18 1B Joey Votto Leg 10-day DL (08/16)
07/26/18 LF Jesse Winker Shoulder 60-day DL (07/26)
07/25/18 C Tyler Stephenson Knee 10-day DL (07/23)
07/21/18 2B Alex Blandino Knee 60-day DL (07/21)
07/19/18 LF Scott Schebler Shoulder 10-day DL (07/15)
03/26/18 P Rookie Davis Hip 60-day DL (03/02)

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

08/22/18 SS Addison Russell Shoulder 10-day DL (08/22)
08/17/18 P Mike Montgomery Shoulder 10-day DL (08/14)
08/03/18 P Brian Duensing Shoulder 10-day DL (08/03)
07/26/18 3B Kris Bryant Shoulder 10-day DL (07/24)
07/21/18 P Anthony Bass Back 10-day DL (07/21)
07/19/18 P Brandon Morrow Biceps 10-day DL (07/18)
06/27/18 P Justin Hancock Shoulder 60-day DL (06/26)
06/24/18 P Rob Zastryzny Back 10-day DL (06/24)
05/26/18 P Yu Darvish Triceps 60-day DL (05/23)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Reds have a 56-70 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani has a 6-3 record with an earned run average of 4.12 and a WHIP of 1.18 this year. He has 64 strikeouts over his 74.1 innings pitched and he's given up 69 hits. He's allowed 8.4 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.87. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.14 and they have given up 463 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .253 against the bullpen and they've struck out 413 hitters and walked 193 batters. As a team, Cincinnati allows 9.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.7 batters per nine innings. They are 24th in the league in team earned run average at 4.7. The Reds pitchers collectively have given up 1,165 base hits and 589 earned runs. They have allowed 178 home runs this season, ranking them 2nd in the league. Cincinnati as a pitching staff has walked 426 batters and struck out 961. They have walked 3.4 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.7 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.41 and their FIP as a unit is 4.71.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Cincinnati is hitting .259, good for 5th in the league. The Reds hold a .407 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .335, which is good for 3rd in baseball. They rank 5th in MLB with 8.9 hits per game. Scooter Gennett is hitting .313 with an on-base percentage of .360. He has 145 hits this season in 463 at bats with 75 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .497 and an OPS+ of 128. Jose Peraza is hitting .290 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .333. He has totaled 142 hits and he has driven in 42 men in 489 at bats. His OPS+ is 99 while his slugging percentage is at .409. The Reds have 1,122 hits, including 208 doubles and 131 home runs. Cincinnati has walked 457 times so far this season and they have struck out 1,052 times as a unit. They have left 943 men on base and have a team OPS of .742. They score 4.56 runs per contest and have scored a total of 575 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Chicago has a 71-53 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.00, Cole Hamels has a 8-9 record and a 1.29 WHIP this season. He has 137 strikeouts over the 139.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 131 hits. He allows 8.5 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.69. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.21 and they have given up 375 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .222 against the Cubs bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 446 batters and walked 212 opposing hitters. As a team, Chicago allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. They are 10th in the league in team earned run average at 3.75. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,004 base knocks and 469 earned runs this season. They have given up 127 home runs this year, which ranks 25th in Major League Baseball. Chicago as a staff has walked 501 hitters and struck out 1,010 batters. They give up a walk 4 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.1 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.34 while their FIP as a staff is 4.30.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .262, good for 2nd in the league. The Cubs hold a .416 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .340, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 3rd in MLB with 9.1 hits per contest. Javier Baez comes into this matchup batting .290 with an OBP of .322. He has 133 hits this year along with 89 RBI in 458 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .561 with an OPS+ of 125. Anthony Rizzo is hitting .267 this season and he has an OBP of .366. He has collected 115 hits in 430 at bats while driving in 79 runs. He has an OPS+ of 112 and a slugging percentage of .449. The Cubs as a unit have 1,126 base hits, including 223 doubles and 129 homers. Chicago has walked 464 times this year and they have struck out on 1,039 occasions. They have had 967 men left on base and have an OPS of .756. They have scored 4.75 runs per game and totaled 589 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Cubs -225

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