Two teams from the National League Central will mix it up for the middle game of a three game series on Wednesday. The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs are both struggling, as they open the series on Tuesday. The Reds have dropped three straight games, and are 19-18 on the season. That’s third in the division, and 2.5 games behind St. Louis.
For the Chicago Cubs, they have dropped two straight games, and 7 out of their last 10 overall. The Cubs are in fourth place in the National League Central; 3.5 games behind St. Louis. The Chicago Cubs are small favorites in this game. The Cubs are -122 over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. Find the latest MLB betting run lines here.
A Closer Look At The Cincinnati Reds Vs Chicago Cubs MLB Expert Predictions
When: Wednesday May 17th, 2017; 7:05 pm CT
Where: Wrigley Field; Chicago, IL
TV: FS-O, WGN
Radio: WLW 700, 670 The Score
Stream Option: MLB.TV
Odds: Chicago Cubs -122
Why Bet on Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds have gotten off to a good start, but that start has fizzled with a road trip to San Francisco. The Reds lost the final three out of four, scoring just 2 runs per game. The Reds offense is 10th in the league in runs scored, with 181, and have a .262 batting average on the season.
Joey Votto and Zack Cozart have been leading the offense. Votto has belted 10 home runs and drove in 33 runs, while Cozart leads the team with a .336 batting average. Cincinnati has improved their pitching from a season ago, with a 4.24 earned run average, and opponents are batting .232 against them.
Why Bet on Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are struggling big time. The Cubs are under .500 for the first time since Opening Day loss to the Cardinals. Chicago has dropped 7 out of their last 9 games. During the three out of four losing streak, Chicago scored just 3 runs, and were shutout in both Colorado and St. Louis.
The Cubs are led by Kris Bryant, who sat the entire weekend series against the Cardinals. Bryant is batting .299 on the season, with 7 homeruns and 18 runs batted in. Anthony Rizzo is the leading RBI guy, with 19, but batting just .213. The Cubs have a team earned run average of 3.83 on the season.
Expert Score & Prediction
The Chicago Cubs need to get back on track. The temperatures are warming up, and the Cubs need to do the same. Chicago has Kyle Hendricks on the mound. Hendricks, who was fantastic a season ago has been up and down early. He is 2-2 on the season, and a 3.40 earned run average.
The Reds will send Scott Feldman to the mound. Feldman is 2-3 on the season, and holds a 3.59 earned run average. Cincinnati will need a solid start from their 34 year old, to keep the Cubs off the scoreboard. Look for the Cubs to scratch and claw a couple runs across, and win this game.
