Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds

 Cubs -165

Game Total - 9.5

 

The Cubs and Reds start are four-game series on Thursday evening and the two teams will send Kyle Hendricks and Matt Harvey to the hill. The Cubs currently lead the season series 3-2 with one game rained out. The Cubs have played .500 ball over their last 10 games while the Reds have won three straight and six and their last eight. The Cubs are currently in a tie for the National League central lead with the Brewers while the Reds are quite far behind in the standings.

Game Play Predictions

Chicago Cubs

  • Kyle Hendricks is 4-1 with a 3.57 ERA against the Reds in his career. That ERA balloons up to 5.65 at Great American Ballpark.

  • Hendricks has allowed three earned runs or less in nine of his last 10 starts, including a game against the Reds in which he went five, allowed three earned and struck out six.

  • Since June 1st, the Cubs rank 21st in OPS and wOBA and are simply struggling offensively.

  • Kyle Schwarber has homered in two straight games and has hit two home runs in his career against Matt Harvey .

  • Kris Bryant is only hitting .200 over his last 10 games, but has a ini four-game hit streak that includes three doubles and three RBI.

  • Javier Báez has begun to heat up once again hitting .357 with a .990 OPS over his last 10 games. He’s also been significantly better on the road hitting .291 on the road compared to .240 at home.

  • Jason Heyward has the best average in the Cubs starting lineup tonight against right-handed pitching at .293. He’s having his best month of the year in June as well, hitting .286.

  • Anthony Rizzo has homered off Harvey in the past and has nine of his 11 homers this year against right-handed pitching.

 

Cincinnati Reds

  • Eugenio Suárez has homered three times over his last four games, five times in his last nine games and has nine RBI over his last nine games as well.

  • Matt Harvey has allowed three earned runs or more in four-straight starts.

  • Current Cubs are slashing .349/.429/.674 against Matt Harvey .

  • Since June 1st, the Reds have scored the eighth most runs in baseball.

  • Joey Votto is 8-for-16 with two home runs and a .640 wOBA off of Kyle Hendricks . He’s hit five of his seven homers this year at home.

  • Scooter Gennett has a hit in nine of his last 10 games and now leads the National League in batting average at .336.

  • Since moving into the leadoff spot, Scott Schebler is slashing .340/.375/.585 and has scored 11 runs in 11 games.

  • As a team, Cincinnati has not been striking out much posting a 19.8-percent rate since June 1, which ranks 25th in the league.

  • Tucker Barnhart and Jesse Winker are two players that benefit greatly from hitting at the  friendly confines of Great American Ballpark. Barnhart is hitting .308 at home, but just .236 on the road. Winker’s at .287 in Cincy and .224 everywhere else.