Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 8/30/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Sunday, August 30, 2026

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Cincinnati (+162) Chicago (-196)

Wrigley Field is the location where the Chicago Cubs (76-59) will go up against the Cincinnati Reds (64-71) on Sunday. The line on this matchup has the Reds at +162 and the Cubs are priced at -196. The over/under is 9. The pitchers expected to start will be Chase Burns and Shota Imanaga.

Cincinnati is slugging .394 and have been called out on strikes 1,282 times, while taking a walk on 483 occasions. They have 534 runs batted in and 1,023 hits this year, and their team batting average is at .228. The Reds have recorded 190 two-baggers as a squad and have smacked 177 balls out of the park. They have earned a total of 558 runs scored while having a team OBP of .307. As a unit, the Cincinnati Reds are notching 4.1 runs per contest, which ranks them 23rd in baseball.

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They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 1.96 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.42. Reds pitchers have conceded 169 long balls and 656 runs in total (24th in the league). Cincinnati has allowed 1,144 hits (8.6 per 9 innings) as well as 609 earned runs. The Reds are sitting with a team earned run average of 4.58 this season (24th in the league), and the staff has rung up 1,086 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 553 opposing players and their FIP sits at 4.66 as a squad for the season.

The Reds relief pitchers have a save percentage of 62.5% and have come into the game in 133 save situations. They have 35 saves on the season and have blown 21 of 56 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 209 runners so far this year with 28.2% of them ended up crossing the plate. Reds relief pitchers have entered the game with runners on 144 times and also have had 166 appearances in high leverage situations. The Reds have sent 473 relief pitchers to the mound on the campaign. The relievers have accumulated 74 holds over the course of the season (14th in the league).

The Reds have turned 69.9% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 10,782 innings on the field, ranking them 14th in the majors. The Cincinnati Reds have earned a total of 3,594 putouts thus far, as well as 1,084 assists and 73 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .985 which puts them in 19th in pro baseball, and have earned 92 double plays.

Burns (14-6 career record) sits with a FIP of 3.16 while he has faced 755 opposing batters during his time in the majors. He has conceded 153 hits (7.6 hits per nine innings) and has had 65 free passes. His earned run average is 3.21 (65 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.196. Burns has pitched in 182 innings and is sitting with 231 punch outs so far in his pro baseball career.

Chicago has accounted for 179 long balls this year as well as 664 runs batted in. They have hit 229 doubles, while walking 570 times and scoring 703 runs. The Chicago Cubs have accumulated an on-base percentage of .338 as well as a team batting average of .249 for the season. The Cubs have a slugging percentage of .423 and they are recording 5.21 runs per contest (1st in the league). They have struck out on 1,155 occasions (9th in MLB) and have totaled 1,157 base knocks.

The Cubs have a team WHIP of 1.254 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.68 as a pitching staff for the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 7.70 (1,035 strikeouts against 404 bases on balls). They are sitting at 17th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits surrendered with 1,109. They have conceded 202 HR's and they give up 4.37 runs per 9 innings (11th in the league). The Chicago pitching staff have conceded 586 runs over the course of the season while holding a team ERA of 4.12 (552 earned runs yielded).

They are currently ranked 26th in baseball holding a save percentage of 55.8%, and they have sent 432 relief pitchers to the hill on the campaign. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 129 times in high leverage situations and on 132 occasions with runners on. With 107 save situations, the Cubs have 49 holds in addition to 23 blown saves. Chicago has had bullpen pitchers enter the contest in 52 save chances and they have walked away with 29 saves. Chicago relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 30.4% out of their 181 inherited runners.

The Chicago Cubs have gotten 103 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .990 (1st in professional baseball). The Cubs have accrued 1,276 assists, 51 errors and are sitting with 3,620 putouts over the course of the season. In their 10,860 innings on the diamond, the Cubs have earned a defensive efficiency of 72.1% (2nd in baseball).

Imanaga (32-20 career record) holds a 3.44 earned run average while conceding 7.7 hits per 9 innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 4.94 and he has faced 1,853 opposing hitters so far in his MLB career. He has conceded a total of 177 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.043 and having a FIP of 3.4. In his MLB career, Imanaga has surrendered 395 base knocks while he has totaled 435 punch outs in 463 innings pitched.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Cincinnati (+162)

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