Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 8/3/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Thursday, August 3, 2023

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Cincinnati (+124) Chicago (-148)

The Cincinnati Reds (59-50) are on their way to Wrigley Field on Thursday where they will attempt to defeat the Chicago Cubs (54-53). The line on this contest has the Reds at +124 while the Cubs are sitting at -148. The total has been set at 9. The expected starting pitchers will be Luke Weaver and Jameson Taillon.

The Reds have earned 193 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 121 balls out of the park. Cincinnati is slugging .415 and have been rung up 984 times, while drawing a walk on 382 occasions. As a team, the Cincinnati Reds are knocking in 4.9 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. They have 515 runs batted in as well as 935 base knocks this season, and their batting average is at .253. They have racked up 535 runs scored and have an on-base percentage of .331.

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The Reds have compiled a team earned run average of 4.77 so far this season (26th in the league), and their staff has rung up 912 batters. Reds pitchers have allowed 148 home runs and also 542 total runs (26th in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 407 opposing players and their FIP is 4.81 as a squad on the year. Cincinnati has surrendered 979 base hits (9.1 per 9 innings) as well as 514 earned runs. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.24 and the pitching staff sits with a WHIP of 1.43.

The Reds have sent 402 relief pitchers to the mound this year. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 210 runners this season with 27.6% of those players ended up crossing the plate. They have accumulated 41 saves for the season and have blown 16 out of their 57 save chances. The Reds relievers have recorded a save rate of 71.9% and has entered the game in 127 save situations. The relievers have racked up 68 holds on the campaign (6th in baseball). Reds pitchers have stepped onto the hill with players on base 149 times as well as having 170 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Reds have converted 68.4% of balls in play into outs in their 8,733 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting at 23rd in MLB. The Cincinnati Reds have 2,911 putouts on the campaign, as well as 886 assists and 49 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .987 which ranks 9th in professional baseball, and they have turned 90 double plays.

Weaver has thrown 536 innings and has tallied 529 K's so far in his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 5.11 (305 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.433. He has surrendered 593 base knocks (9.9 hits per nine innings) and has had 176 free passes. Weaver (26-39 career win-loss mark) holds a FIP of 4.30 while he has faced 2,366 hitters in the majors.

The Cubs hold a team slugging % of .418 and they are scoring 5.04 runs per contest (5th in MLB). They have hit 170 doubles, while getting a free base 386 times and recording 539 runs. Chicago has knocked in 127 HRs for the season to go along with 521 RBIs. They have been rung up on 966 occasions (10th in baseball) and have 934 hits. The Chicago Cubs have a team OBP of .334 as well as a batting average of .256 for the year.

The Cubs are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.273 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.14 as a staff for the year. They are currently ranked 10th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 871. The Chicago pitching staff have yielded 472 runs on the season while having an ERA of 4.07 (428 earned runs surrendered). Their strikeout to walk ratio is 8.30 (876 strikeouts vs 335 walks). They have conceded 112 homers and they yield 4.49 runs per 9 innings (16th in the league).

Chicago has had relief pitchers enter the contest in 27 save chances and they have recorded 18 saves. They are currently ranked 10th in MLB holding a save percentage of 66.7%, and they have sent 325 relief pitchers to the mound on the year. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the mound 78 times in high leverage situations in addition to 84 occasions with runners on. Chicago relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 28.1% out of 139 inherited base runners. With 77 save situations, the Cubs have accumulated 49 holds in addition to 9 blown saves.

The Chicago Cubs have turned 95 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .985 (17th in pro baseball). The Cubs have 990 assists, 57 errors and have amassed 2,841 putouts on the campaign. In 8,523 innings on the field, the Cubs are sitting with a efficiency on defense of 69.8% (8th in the majors).

Taillon (56-41 win-loss record in his career) has a 4.00 earned run average while conceding 8.8 hits per nine innings. His K/BB ratio is 3.56 and he has faced 3,662 batters so far in his MLB career. He has conceded 390 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.229 and a FIP of 3.9. During his career, Taillon has conceded 856 base knocks while tallying 787 K's in 876 innings pitched.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Chicago (-148)

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