Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 5/7/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Cincinnati (+132) Chicago (-160)

The Cincinnati Reds (20-16) are en route to Wrigley Field on Thursday where they will take on the Chicago Cubs (24-12). The moneyline on this contest has Cincinnati at +132 while Chicago is at -160. The total has been set at 9. The pitchers taking the mound are Rhett Lowder and Shota Imanaga.

Cincinnati is slugging .384 and have been called out on strikes 336 times, while being walked on 139 occasions. They have accounted for 136 RBI's and 260 hits so far this season, while their average at the plate is at .218. The Reds have tallied 50 doubles as a team and have knocked 48 baseballs out of the park. They have a total of 147 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .303. As a team, the Cincinnati Reds are recording 4.1 runs per outing, which has them at 22nd in the league.

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The Reds have a team ERA of 4.45 this season (21st in MLB), and they have rung up 280 hitters. Reds pitchers have allowed 39 home runs and 171 runs in total (22nd in the league). They have walked 173 opposing hitters and their FIP sits at 4.73 as a squad for the year. Cincinnati has conceded 311 base hits (8.7 per 9 innings) as well as 159 earned runs. They have accumulated a K/BB ratio of 1.62 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.51.

The Reds relief pitchers have recorded a save percentage of 58.8% and stepped onto the hill in 44 save situations. They have tallied 10 saves this year and have blown 7 of their 17 chances to get a save. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 58 runners this season with 22.4% of those players ended up crossing the plate. Reds relief pitchers have come into the game with runners on base 41 times in addition to having 48 appearances in high leverage situations. The Reds have dispatched 135 relievers to the hill this year. The relief pitchers are sitting with 26 holds on the campaign (2nd in the league).

The Cincinnati Reds have accumulated 965 putouts thus far, in addition to 310 assists and 15 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .988 which ranks 8th in the majors, and they have turned 35 double plays. The Reds have transformed 69.5% of baseballs in play into outs in their 2,895 innings, which has them sitting 18th in pro baseball.

Lowder has taken the mound for 65 frames and has accumulated 48 K's in his career. His ERA is 3.31 (24 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.348. He has allowed 60 base knocks (8.3 hits per 9 innings) and has 28 free passes. Lowder (5-4 career win-loss record) has earned a FIP of 3.26 while he has gone up against 281 hitters in the major leagues.

The Chicago Cubs have accumulated a team OBP of .352 as well as a team batting average of .258 so far this year. They have struck out on 289 occasions (19th in the league) and have a total of 318 base knocks. Chicago has compiled 47 HRs so far this year and 177 RBIs. The Cubs have a team slugging % of .428 and they are scoring 5.36 runs per game (3rd in baseball). They have put up 56 doubles, while walking 168 times as well as earning 193 runs.

The Chicago pitching staff have conceded 149 runs for the year while holding an ERA of 3.83 (137 earned runs relinquished). They have surrendered 43 HR's and they surrender 4.16 runs per 9 innings (8th in baseball). The Cubs have a team WHIP of 1.174 and have a FIP of 4.11 as a unit on the campaign. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 8.40 (299 strikeouts against 106 free passes). They come in at 9th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 272.

Chicago relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 32.6% out of 46 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 36 times in high leverage situations and on 35 occasions with base runners. With 21 save situations, the Cubs have accrued 7 holds in addition to 5 blown saves. They are currently ranked 17th in the league with a save rate of 61.5%, and they have dispatched 106 relievers to the hill on the season.

Out of their 2,898 innings played, the Cubs have earned a defensive efficiency of 72.4% (4th in the majors). The Chicago Cubs have gotten 23 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .986 (15th in the majors). The Cubs have 322 assists, 18 errors and have earned a total of 966 putouts during this campaign.

During his pro baseball career, Imanaga has surrendered 291 hits while earning 334 strikeouts in 359 innings pitched. Imanaga (27-13 career record) is the owner of a 3.18 earned run average and has surrendered 7.3 hits per nine innings. He has surrendered a total of 127 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 0.989 and having a FIP of 3.1. His strikeout to walk ratio is 5.22 and he has faced 1,420 batters so far in his MLB career.

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

Parlay's Pundit's Pick: Take Chicago (-160) and under 9 runs

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