Reds vs. Cubs prediction and odds for Thursday, August 3 (Cubs Keep Crushing)
There must be something about August in Chicago because the Chicago Cubs have scored 36 runs in August already and it’s only August 3. Tonight is the finale of their four-game set with the Cincinnati Reds and they’ve taken the last two 20-9 and 16-6. Chicago is just three games back of the NL Central leading Reds 55-53. Cincinnati is 59-51.
Tonight the pitching matchup will feature Luke Weaver against Jameson Taillon. Weaver has made 18 starts for the Reds and has a 6.80 ERA and a record of 2-3. Taillon will also make his 19th start of the year tonight and he will come in at 5-6 with a 5.46 ERA.
Let’s get right into the odds for the final game of this series, a crucial one for the Cubs chances of eventually stealing the top spot in the division.
The Chicago Cubs are the best team in the NL Central. This has been true all year and long and remains a fact. They have the fifth best run differential in baseball at +77 after these last two blowout wins and Milwaukee is now the next closest NL Central team at -15. The Cubs are going to win the division and a win today is just another step towards their destiny of a playoff run.
Neither of these starting pitchers are all that good, but Taillon is the much more favorable option. Weaver has a 6.12 FIP and has given up 22 home runs this year. That is almost as many as the Cubs have hit in this series. In July alone he gave up eight long balls and the Cubs will tee off again in this one.
Dansby Swanson has four home runs over the past week and Ian Happ has three. In that stretch, the Cubs have five hitters with an OPS over 1.000 in at least 10 at-bats. They are crushing the ball right now and I don’t know how you could bet against them. I’m backing the Cubs a lot this second half and have them at +800 to win the division from the All-Star break.
The Cubs have made a statement in this series and now they’ll close it out with another big win.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change
