Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, Preview and Odds - 08/03/2023

Game Time: 8:05 pm ET, Thursday, August 3, 2023

Venue:  Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Where to Watch:  MARQ

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Reds +124, Cubs -148; Over/Under:  10 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Reds +124, Cubs -148; Over/Under:  10 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Reds +124, Cubs -148; Over/Under:  10 runs

Cincinnati Reds:  59-50 (1st place, NL Central)

Chicago Cubs:  54-53 (3rd place, NL Central)

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Cincinnati Reds:  6-4 last 10

Chicago Cubs:  8-2 last 10

The Reds are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 59-50 record overall and have a road record of 31-24. This is the series finale of a 4-game series with the Cubs on Thursday with the 3rd game of this series still to be played on Wednesday. They also won the series opener of this series on Monday but lost the 2nd game on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 11th in the MLB with a .746 OPS. Rookie pitcher Brandon Williamson is their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Luke Weaver is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 2-3 with a 6.80 ERA this season. His team lost 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 ER, 2 HR, and 2 BB with 2 Ks on 2 hits through 6 IP against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cubs are entering this series off a loss but won their 4-game series against the St Louis Cardinals 3-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 54-53 record overall and have a home record of 28-27. This is the 4th game of a 4-game series with the Reds on Thursday with the 3rd game of this series still to be played on Wednesday. They also lost the 1st game of this series on Monday but won the 2nd game on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 8th in the MLB with a .752 OPS. Drew Smyly is their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Jameson Taillon is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 5-6 with a 5.46 ERA this season. His team won their last 4 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 earned run, 0 homers, and 4 BB with 4 strikeouts on 2 hits through 6 innings played against the St Louis Cardinals.

The current betting odds have the Cubs listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Reds are leading the NL Central right now with a really good offense but their pitching hasn't been great this season and the Cubs have actually had a better offense than the Reds have had. The Cubs also have much better pitching than the Reds do and they will have the better pitching matchup in this game too. They have Taillon on the mound here and he was terrible to start the season but he has been pitching a lot better lately, not giving up nearly as many runs in his starts now. He is coming off another good start in his last outing and he will be looking to continue pitching well here now that he has found his groove. The Reds have Weaver on the mound here and he has been terrible all season. He is also coming off a really good start in his last one but that was the 1 rare good start as he has been giving up a ton of runs in his starts lately still. He may have pitched well in his last start but this Cubs offense is really hot right now and he will go back to his old ways since giving up a ton of runs in his starts has become a common theme for him this year. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game. 

Reds Cubs Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Thursday, August 3, 2023 (8:05 pm ET start time) is Cubs 9 Reds 5.

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Cincinnati Reds: 59-50 (+21.3 units) on the moneyline in all games. 39-40 (+13.5 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 or higher. LUKE WEAVER is 17-8 OVER as an underdog of +100 or higher and 19-13 OVER in all games.

Chicago Cubs: 199-232 (-11.9 units) on the moneyline in all games. 104-113 (-13.6 units) on the moneyline in home games. 20-9 OVER as a home favorite of -110 or higher. 31-20 OVER in home games.

Cincinnati Reds:  J. India (2B) Mid Aug - Heel. R. Sanmartin (SP) out for season - Elbow. N. Lodolo (SP) Late Aug - Calf. H. Greene (SP) Prob Aug 20 - Hip. T. Antone (RP) Mid Aug - Elbow. C. Legumina (SP) Mid Aug - Shoulder. C. Casali (C) Mid Aug - Foot. V. Gutierrez (SP) Mid Aug - Elbow. J. Dunn (SP) Mid Sept - Shoulder. C. Overton (SP) out for season - Elbow.

Chicago Cubs:  B. Boxberger (RP) Mid Aug - Forearm. N. Burdi (RP) Mid Aug - Appendix. B. Hughes (RP) out for season - Knee. C. Heuer (RP) out for season - Elbow. E. Roberts (RP) out for season - Elbow.

“It's not fun to see when your guy's out there having to go through that. He's pitched so well for us. That was kind of the situation we were in in trying to get him as far as we could and manage the bullpen the best we could.” - David Bell after his team’s loss against the Cubs in their game on Tuesday.

“Anytime you get a win, put up 20 runs, it’s a good day at the ballpark. It’s good to be on that side of things.” - Justin Steele after their win against the Reds in their game on Tuesday.

Elly De La Cruz (S) 3B

Nick Senzel (R) LF

Matt McLain (R) SS

Spencer Steer (R) 1B

Kevin Newman (R) 2B

Christian Encarnacion-Strand (R) DH

Tyler Stephenson (R) C

TJ Friedl (L) CF

Stuart Fairchild (R) RF

Mike Tauchman (L) RF

Nico Hoerner (R) 2B

Ian Happ (S) LF

Cody Bellinger (L) CF

Dansby Swanson (R) SS

Jeimer Candelario (S) 1B

Christopher Morel (R) DH

Nick Madrigal (R) 3B

Tucker Barnhart (L) C

Batting Average:  Matt McLain (.305)

Hits:  Spencer Steer (105)

Home Runs:  Spencer Steer (15)

RBI:  Jake Fraley (63)

Stolen Bases:  Jake Fraley (19)

Wins:  Ian Gibaut (8)

Saves:  Alexis Diaz (32)

ERA:  Ricky Karcher (0.00)

Batting Average:  Jeimer Candelario (.800)

Hits:  Nico Hoerner (117)

Home Runs:  Patrick Wisdom (19)

RBI:  Nico Hoerner (58)

Stolen Bases:  Nico Hoerner (26)

Wins:  Justin Steele (12)

Saves:  Adbert Alzolay (12)

ERA:  Daniel Palencia (1.86)

Managers:

Cincinnati Reds: David Bell (5th season)

Chicago Cubs: David Ross (4th season)