Cubs vs. Reds Prediction, Betting Tips & Picks 5/23/2022

The Chicago Cubs (16-24), led by the red-hot Patrick Wisdom and his three-game homer streak, are -120 favorites to pick up a win over the Cincinnati Reds (12-28) Monday at 6:40 PM ET, live from Great American Ball Park. Drew Smyly starts for Chicago while Vladimir Gutierrez is Cincinnati’s starter for the contest.

Cubs vs. Reds Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Cubs vs. Reds

Our computer pick: Cincinnati Reds (+100) and Over (9)

Cubs vs. Reds Game Info

• Chicago Cubs probable starting pitcher: Drew Smyly
• Cincinnati Reds probable starting pitcher: Vladimir Gutierrez
• Game Day: Monday, May 23, 2022
• Game Time: 6:40 PM ET
• Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
• Stadium: Great American Ball Park

Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds Pitching Matchup

Cubs Starter Drew Smyly

• Smyly gets the start for the Cubs, his eighth of the season. He is 1-5 with a 3.97 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched.
• The lefty last pitched on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he went 4 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs while giving up six hits.
• In seven games this season, the 32-year-old has an ERA of 3.97, with 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .288 against him.
• Smyly is yet to record a quality start so far this year.
• Smyly has put up three starts this season in which he pitched five or more innings.
• He will face a Reds offense that ranks 23rd in the league with 155 runs while batting .218 as a squad. It has a collective .350 slugging percentage (27th in MLB play) and has hit a total of 32 home runs (23rd in MLB).

Reds Starter Vladimir Gutierrez

• Gutierrez (0-5) will take to the mound for the Reds and make his seventh start of the season.
• The right-hander last pitched on Wednesday, May 11, when he gave up four earned runs and allowed six hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.
• The 26-year-old has pitched to an 8.65 ERA this season with 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 6.6 walks per nine across six games.
• None of Gutierrez’s six starts this season have met the criteria for a quality start.
• Gutierrez has yet to pitch five or more innings in any of his six starts this season. He averages 4.1 frames per outing.
• The Cubs have scored 166 runs this season, which ranks 19th in MLB. They are batting .232 for the campaign with 37 home runs, 18th in the league.

Cubs Betting Picks & Insights

• The Cubs have entered the game as favorites 13 times this season and won five, or 38.5%, of those games.
• This season, Chicago has won five of its 13 games, or 38.5%, when favored by at least -120 on the moneyline.
• The moneyline for this contest implies a 54.5% chance of a victory for the Cubs.
• Games involving Chicago have gone over the total set by sportsbooks in 19 of 40 chances this season.
• The Cubs are 20-20-0 against the spread in their 40 chances this season.

Reds Betting Picks & Insights

• The Reds have won in 11, or 31.4%, of the 35 contests they have been named as odds-on underdogs in this year.
• This year, Cincinnati has won 11 of 33 games when listed as at least +100 or worse on the moneyline.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Reds have a 50% chance of walking away with the win.
• Cincinnati and their opponents have hit the over in 23 of their 41 games with a total set by oddsmakers this season.
• The Reds have an against the spread mark of 19-22-0 in 41 games with a line this season.

Cubs Leaders & Batting Stats

• Ian Happ’s .276 average leads the Cubs this year. His resume also includes three homers and driven in 18 RBI.
• Of all hitters in baseball, Happ’s home run total places him 134th, and his RBI tally ranks him 80th.
• Happ carries a two-game hitting streak into this matchup. In his last five games he is hitting .250 with a double, a home run, two walks and two RBI.
• Willson Contreras has seven doubles, a triple, five home runs and 16 walks while batting .258.
• Contreras ranks 59th in home runs and 138th in RBI on the season.
• Seiya Suzuki has 11 doubles, a triple, four home runs and 18 walks while batting .246.
• Suzuki is on a two-game hitting streak entering this contest. In his last five games he is batting .200 with three doubles, a walk and three RBI.
• Wisdom’s nine home runs and 20 RBI both lead his team.
• Wisdom brings a three-game streak with at least one hit into this one. In his last five games he is batting .235 with three home runs, two walks and three RBI.

Reds Leaders & Batting Stats

• Tyler Naquin paces the Reds with four home runs and 21 runs batted in, while posting a team-best batting average of .258.
• In all of the big leagues, Naquin ranks 82nd in homers and 41st in RBI.
• Tommy Pham has put his power on display as he paces his team with four home runs.
• Pham is 82nd in home runs and 166th in RBI among all hitters in the big leagues.
• Kyle Farmer is hitting .227 with 11 doubles, a home run and seven walks.
• Tyler Stephenson has put up a team-high four home runs.

Betting Tips for Cubs vs. Reds

After digging through all of the key trends and stats for this matchup, our best bet is the Reds on the moneyline at +100. Our computer picks see the scoring going over the total of 9 runs.