Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Robert Stephenson vs. John Lackey

The Cincinnati Reds head to Wrigley Field on Wednesday to take on the Chicago Cubs. The probable pitchers are Robert Stephenson for the Reds and John Lackey for the Cubs. The opening line for this game has Cincinnati at +229 and Chicago at -250. The over/under is 8. The Reds have a 80-60-10 over/under mark and a 78-72-0 run line record, meaning they cover 52% of the time. The Cubs are 78-72-0 against the run line and have a 67-75-8 over/under record. They cover the spread 52% of the time.

The Reds head into this game with a 63-87 record, and they are 26-46 on the road. Starting pitcher Robert Stephenson has a 2-1 record with an ERA of 4.97 and a WHIP of 1.38. He has 21 strikeouts during his 25.1 innings pitched and he has given up 24 hits so far this year. He has surrendered 8.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 6.21. The bullpen this season has an earned run average of 4.99 and they have allowed 526 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .251 against the pen while they've been struck out 482 times and walked 275 times this year. As a unit, Cincinnati has given up 9.08 base hits per nine innings while striking out 7.73 hitters per nine. They are 28th in the Majors in team earned run average at 4.89. The Reds pitchers have collectively given up 1,350 base hits and 727 earned runs. They have allowed 242 home runs this season and they allow 1.6 homers per nine innings as a staff. Cincinnati as a pitching staff has walked 592 batters and struck out 1,150. They walk 4 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.7 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.45 and their FIP as a unit is 5.26.

As a team, Cincinnati is hitting .254, good for 19th in the league while putting together a .249 average on the road. The Reds have a .408 team slugging percentage and an OBP of .315 which is good for 23rd in the league. They rank 20th in baseball with 8.58 hits per contest. Joey Votto comes into this game hitting .321 and his on-base percentage is at .434. He has 163 hits this season along with 93 runs scored and 87 runs batted in. He's struck out 116 times and has walked 103 times. Brandon Phillips is hitting .289 and he has an on-base percentage of .321. He has totaled 151 hits so far while scoring 72 runs and he's driven in 59. He has walked 18 times and has struck out 65 times. The Reds have 1,286 hits, including 256 doubles and 154 home runs. They've stolen 124 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 46 times. Cincinnati has walked 424 times this season and they've struck out 1,197 times as a unit. They've left 929 men on base and have a team OPS of .722. They score 4.4 runs per contest and have scored a total of 660 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this game with a 53-23 home mark and a 95-55 overall record. With an ERA of 3.42, John Lackey has a 9-8 record and a 1.05 WHIP. He has 173 strikeouts over the 176.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 136 hits. He has allowed 6.9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.86. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.47 and they have given up 338 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .208 against the Cubs bullpen while being struck out 477 times and walking 181 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 6.85 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.9 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 3.08. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,035 base knocks and 469 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 157 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 461 hitters and struck out 1,342. They give up a walk 3.1 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.10 while their FIP as a staff is 3.80.

As a team, they are batting .255, good for 17th in the league while putting together a .251 average at home. The Cubs hold a .428 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .341 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 19th in baseball with 8.66 hits per contest. Anthony Rizzo comes into this matchup batting .292 and he has an OBP of .389. He has 158 hits this year along with 88 runs scored and 101 RBI. He's struck out 99 times and has walked on 72 occasions. Kris Bryant is hitting .293 and he has an OBP of .387. He has collected 166 hits so far while he's scored 115 runs and drove in 96. He has earned a walk 70 times and has punched out 146 times. The Cubs as a unit have 1,299 base hits, including 271 doubles and 187 homers. They have 57 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 32 times. Chicago as a team has walked 598 times this year and they have struck out 1,250 times. They've had 1,119 men left on base and have an OPS of .769. They score 4.93 runs per game and have totaled 740 runs so far this season.

Cincinnati Reds Betting Trends

The Cincinnati Reds are 80-60-10 against the over/under so far this season

The Cincinnati Reds are 78-72-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 67-75-8 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 78-72-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Cincinnati Reds

09/19/16 SS Zack Cozart Knee out indefinitely
09/16/16 CF Billy Hamilton Oblique 15-day DL (9/5)
09/16/16 P Cody Reed Back 15-day DL (9/5)
09/14/16 P Alfredo Simon Shoulder 60-day DL (9/12)
09/09/16 P Homer Bailey Bicep out indefinitely
06/01/16 P Caleb Cotham Shoulder 15-day DL (5/29)
05/02/16 C Devin Mesoraco Shoulder 60-day DL (5/1); out for season
04/10/16 CF Yorman Rodriguez Hamstring 60-day DL (3/27)

Chicago Cubs

08/12/16 P Pedro Strop Knee 15-day DL (8/11)
04/08/16 C Kyle Schwarber Knee 60-day DL (4/8); out for season
04/04/16 P Aaron Brooks Hip 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 3B Christian Villanueva Fibula 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Dallas Beeler Shoulder 60-day DL (3/25)
03/31/16 P Zac Rosscup Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)

Josh's Pick: Take the Cubs

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