Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds Prediction, 9/18/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds

Date: Friday, September 18, 2026

Location: Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH

TV: Reds.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Chicago (-128) Cincinnati (+106)

The Chicago Cubs (85-68) are headed to Great American Ball Park on Friday where they will meet the Cincinnati Reds (71-81). The moneyline on this game has the Cubs at -128 while the Reds are sitting at +106. The over/under comes in at 8. The pitchers taking the mound will be Clay Holmes and Brandon Williamson.

Chicago owns a slugging percentage of .431 and have struck out 1,271 times, while taking a walk on 643 occasions. They have 772 RBI's in addition to 1,320 base knocks this season, while their team batting average is .252. The Cubs have accumulated 261 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 211 baseballs out of the park. They have accumulated 817 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .340. As a unit, the Chicago Cubs are recording 5.3 runs per outing, which is 1st in the league.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.52 and the pitching staff sits with a WHIP of 1.27. Cubs pitchers have allowed 227 home runs and 674 runs (14th in the league). Chicago has given up 1,263 base knocks (8.3 per 9 innings) as well as 636 earned runs. The Cubs hold a team ERA of 4.19 on the season (17th in the league), and their staff has rung up 1,188 batters. They have walked 471 players from the other team and their FIP comes in at 4.68 as a squad on the year.

Cubs relief pitchers have gone to the mound with opponents on base 155 times in addition to having 146 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have racked up 52 holds for the year (30th in MLB). The Cubs relievers have compiled a save rate of 55.0% and have entered the game in 119 save situations. They have recorded 33 saves this year and have blown 27 out of their 60 chances to get a save. The relief pitchers have inherited 217 base runners so far this year and 33.2% of those players ended up crossing the plate. The Cubs have dispatched 489 relief pitchers to the hill for the season.

The Cubs have turned 71.8% of baseballs in play into outs out of 12,294 innings on the field, which has them ranked 3rd in pro baseball. The Chicago Cubs have 4,098 putouts so far this season, as well as 1,448 assists and 56 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .990 which has them ranked 1st in professional baseball, and have accumulated 116 double plays.

Holmes has taken the mound for 542 innings and has 515 punch outs thus far in his career. His earned run average is 3.64 (219 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.295. He has given up 467 hits (7.8 hits per 9 innings) with 235 walks. Holmes (38-33 win-loss mark in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 3.58 and he has faced 2,329 hitters during his time in the majors.

The Reds hold a team slugging % of .396 and they tally 4.15 runs per outing (26th in baseball). They have tallied 211 two-baggers, while walking 534 times and recording 631 runs. Cincinnati has accumulated 202 home runs on the campaign to go along with 603 runs batted in. They have struck out on 1,450 occasions (1st in baseball) and have tallied 1,161 hits. The Cincinnati Reds have earned a team OBP of .307 and a batting average of .230 for the year.

The Reds have a WHIP of 1.446 and have a FIP of 4.79 as a unit on the season. Their K/BB ratio is 8.20 (1,230 strikeouts against 632 walks). They rank 25th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits relinquished with 1,313. They have given up 201 long balls and they concede 5.21 runs per 9 innings (28th in MLB). The Cincinnati pitching staff have relinquished 779 runs this season while holding an ERA of 4.85 (725 earned runs yielded).

They are ranked 14th in baseball with a save percentage of 64.5%, and they have sent 541 relief pitchers to the mound on the year. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 180 times in high leverage situations and on 159 occasions with runners on base. With 149 save situations, the Reds have accumulated 83 holds in addition to 22 blown saves. Cincinnati has called on relievers to enter the game in 62 save opportunities and they have tallied 40 saves. Cincinnati relievers have an inherited score rate of 27.3% of 238 inherited runners.

The Cincinnati Reds have gotten 108 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .984 (20th in pro baseball). The Reds have recorded 1,218 assists, 87 errors and have amassed 4,035 putouts during this campaign. In their 12,105 innings on the field, the Reds hold a defensive efficiency of 69.4% (20th in baseball).

Williamson (9-9 mark in his career) has earned a 4.70 earned run average and has surrendered 8.3 hits per nine innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 1.97 and he has gone up against 738 opposing hitters during his career. He has allowed 90 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.335 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.6. During his MLB career, Williamson has allowed 159 base hits and he has 140 K's in 172 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Chicago (-128)

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