The Chicago Cubs hope to ride the momentum of a late-inning comeback victory when they visit the National League Central-rival Cincinnati Reds on Monday for the opener of their four-game series. Chicago (16-24) was in line to suffer a fifth consecutive loss on Sunday before scoring twice in the eighth and holding on for a 5-4 home victory against Arizona. Cincinnati (12-28) also posted a one-run victory on Sunday, a 3-2 triumph at Toronto for its eighth win in 13 contests.
First pitch from Great American Ball Park is set for 6:40 p.m. ET. Chicago is a -130 favorite (risk $130 to win $100) on the money line in the latest Cubs vs. Reds odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total runs scored is nine. Before making any Reds vs. Cubs picks, be sure to check out the latest MLB predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times and it is off to a profitable start to the 2022 season. It's on a 41-30 roll on top-rated MLB money-line picks through seven weeks, returning almost $600 for $100 players. Anyone following it has seen some huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cubs vs. Reds, and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several MLB odds and trends for Reds vs. Cubs:
- Cubs vs. Reds money line: Chicago -130, Cincinnati +110
- Cubs vs. Reds over-under: 9 runs
- Cubs vs. Reds run line: Chicago -1.5 (+130)
- Cubs vs. Red tickets: See tickets at StubHub
- CHN: The Cubs are 2-7 in their last nine series openers
- CIN: The Reds are 1-9 in their last 10 contests against left-handed starters
Why you should back the Cubs
Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel were the heroes for Chicago on Sunday as they began the eighth inning with back-to-back home runs. It was the second straight game in which the duo went back-to-back, becoming the first Cubs teammates to accomplish that feat since Ernie Banks and Jim Hickman in 1969. Wisdom, who hit a career-high 28 homers last season, has gone deep in three consecutive contests and leads Chicago with nine blasts.
Schwindel has hit safely in seven of his last eight games while Seiya Suzuki has recorded a hit in nine of his past 10. P.J. Higgins made an impressive season debut for the Cubs on Sunday, delivering a triple with the bases loaded in his first at-bat for the first three RBI of his major-league career, and he could be rewarded with more playing time as Willson Contreras is dealing with a hamstring injury. Left-hander Drew Smyly is 3-0 with a 3.09 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 23.1 innings in five career games against Cincinnati.
Why you should back the Reds
Cincinnati has played much better since enduring a nine-game losing streak from April 26-May 5, winning nine of 15 contests. During that span, the Reds have gone 4-2 at home, where they've played only 14 times this season. Kyle Farmer has been one of Cincinnati's hottest at the plate as he has gone 8-for-18 during his five-game hitting streak.
The 31-year-old shortstop has driven in three runs in that span and has recorded seven RBIs over his last nine contests. The Reds will have top run producer Brandon Drury back after he was placed on the restricted list for the weekend series at Toronto due to his being unvaccinated. The 29-year-old third baseman leads Cincinnati with seven home runs and 22 RBIs in 32 games.
How to make Reds vs. Cubs picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 9.5 combined runs. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the model's MLB picks at SportsLine.
Who will win Cubs vs. Reds? And which team has all the value on the money line? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.