Cubs vs. Reds Prediction, Betting Tips & Picks 5/26/2022

Seeking their 19th win of the year, the Chicago Cubs (18-25) are favorites (-118) on the moneyline when they take on the Cincinnati Reds (13-30) Thursday at 12:35 PM ET. Justin Steele will get the ball for Chicago while Cincinnati counter with Hunter Greene.

Cubs vs. Reds Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Cubs vs. Reds

Our computer pick: Cincinnati Reds (-100) and Over (8.5)

Cubs vs. Reds Game Info

• Chicago Cubs probable starting pitcher: Justin Steele
• Cincinnati Reds probable starting pitcher: Hunter Greene
• Game Day: Thursday, May 26, 2022
• Game Time: 12:35 PM ET
• Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
• Stadium: Great American Ball Park

Chicago Cubs vs Cincinnati Reds Pitching Matchup

Cubs Starter Justin Steele

• Steele (1-4 with a 3.82 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched) gets the start for the Cubs, his ninth of the season.
• In his most recent appearance on Saturday, the lefty threw five scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks while surrendering one hit.
• The 26-year-old has a 3.82 ERA and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings across eight games this season, while giving up a batting average of .236 to his opponents.
• Steele is trying to secure his second quality start of the season in this game.
• Steele will try to extend a three-game streak of pitching five or more innings (he’s averaging 4.0 innings per appearance).
• The opposing Reds offense has a collective .217 batting average, and is 29th in the league with 302 total hits and 22nd in MLB play with 167 runs scored. It has the 26th-ranked slugging percentage (.353) and ranks 21st in home runs (37) in all of MLB.

Reds Starter Hunter Greene

• The Reds will send Greene (1-6) to the mound for his ninth start this season.
• The right-hander gave up one earned run and allowed four hits in six innings pitched against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
• The 22-year-old has pitched to a 5.49 ERA this season with 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 5.0 walks per nine across eight games.
• He’s going for his third quality start in a row.
• Greene will look to pitch five or more innings for the fourth start in a row.
• The Cubs have scored 187 runs this season, which ranks 14th in MLB. They are batting .234 for the campaign with 41 home runs, 15th in the league.

Cubs Betting Picks & Insights

• This season, the Cubs have won six out of the 14 games, or 42.9%, in which they’ve been favored.
• Chicago has entered 14 games this season favored by -118 or more and is 6-8 in those contests.
• Bookmakers have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that the Cubs have a 54.1% chance to win.
• Games involving Chicago have gone over the total set by bookmakers in 21 of 43 chances this season.
• The Cubs have an ATS record of 23-20-0 in 43 games with a spread this season.

Reds Betting Picks & Insights

• The Reds have won in 11, or 30.6%, of the 36 contests they have been named as odds-on underdogs in this year.
• Cincinnati has a mark of 11-24 in contests where oddsmakers favor them by -100 or worse on the moneyline.
• The Reds have an implied victory probability of 50% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.
• Cincinnati and their opponents have gone over in 25 of their 44 games with a total set by sportsbooks this season.
• In 44 games with a line this season, the Reds have a mark of 19-25-0 against the spread.

Cubs Leaders & Batting Stats

• Ian Happ is the Cubs best hitter, putting together an average of .274 while also being the team’s top run producer, delivering 24 RBI and crushing four homers.
• Among all hitters in MLB, Happ’s home run total places him 96th, and his RBI tally puts him 30th.
• Willson Contreras is hitting .256 with seven doubles, a triple, five home runs and 16 walks.
• Contreras is 66th in home runs and 153rd in RBI among all major league batters this year.
• Seiya Suzuki has 12 doubles, a triple, four home runs and 21 walks while batting .241.
• Patrick Wisdom has put his power on display as he leads his team with 10 home runs.

Reds Leaders & Batting Stats

• Brandon Drury has posted a team-high seven home runs and has driven in 22 runs.
• Drury ranks 39th in homers and 46th in RBI among all hitters in the majors.
• Tommy Pham is hitting .226 with five doubles, five home runs and 24 walks.
• Pham ranks 66th among all batters in the majors in homers, and 153rd in RBI.
• Tyler Naquin has the top batting average on the Reds (.262) while leading in runs batted in (22).
• Kyle Farmer has 11 doubles, a home run and seven walks while batting .227.

Betting Tips for Cubs vs. Reds

Our best bet is the Reds on the moneyline at -100 after looking at all of the key statistics and trends for this matchup. Our computer predicts the total score will over the total of 8.5 runs.