MLB Betting Preview
Cincinnati Reds (55-70) at Chicago Cubs (76-48)
Tuesday, 8:05 pm Eastern

SBG Global Opening Line: Reds – 315 ,  Total TBA

The Chicago Cubs have the best home record in baseball at 45-17 and will be heavily favored to add to that mark on Tuesday night as they host the Cincinnati Reds with Rich Harden on the mound.  Harden has been excellent for the Cubs but is still looking for his first win at Wrigley Field.  Harden is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA with the Cubs but hasn’t gotten a decision at home where he is 0-0 with a 2.81 ERA.  Harden won his only career start against the Red back in 2004.  Chicago is 5-4 against the Reds this season with four of those wins coming at home.

SBG Global reports that early MLB betting has the public taking Cubs at Home.

The Reds won on Sunday against St. Louis but it was only their fifth win in their last 22 games.
“I want to see a team that competes,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said, “I don’t care who you’re playing or how many people are in the stands. I’m just glad that our young players are playing hard.”  The Reds go with Johnny Cueto on Tuesday.  He is 8-11 with a 4.90 ERA.  He pitched well in his last start against Pittsburgh as he allowed one run and four hits in five innings.  Against Chicago last month he gave up five runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Here are the MLB betting stats for Tuesday’s game.  The Reds are 3-7 in their last 10 road games. The Reds are 3-9 in their last 12 vs. the National League Central. The Reds are 3-12 in their last 15 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Reds are 2-5 in the last 7 meetings in Chicago.

SBG Global Current Line: Reds – 310  ,  Total  TBA

The Cubs are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. the National League Central. The Cubs are 16-5 in their last 21 overall.

The Under is 4-0 in the Reds last 4 road games. The Under is 4-1 in the Reds last 5 road games vs. a right-handed starter.

The Over is 7-1 in the Cubs last 8 overall. The Over is 6-1 in the Cubs last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Over is 4-1 in the Cubs last 5 vs. the National League Central. The Over is 4-1 in the Cubs last 5 home games. The Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Chicago between the two teams.

Pick Over 2 units

MLB Betting Preview 
New York Mets (51-44) at Cincinnati Reds (46-50)  
Thursday, 7:10 pm Eastern 
 
SBG Global Opening Line: Mets  - 145 ,  Total  8 Over -120 

The New York Mets were one team that did not want the All-Star break to come.  They had won nine in a row before the break and will try and make it 10 straight as they face Cincinnati on Thursday.  New York has not won 10 straight since 1991. They have a good chance to get the win on Thursday as Johan Santana takes the mound. “The break,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said, “is just a pause, not the end of anything.”  New York is just a half game back of the Phillies for first place in the National League East. SBG Global reports that early MLB betting has the public taking Mets on the Road.

Santana is 8-7 with a 2.84 ERA this season. He has not had much support this season even though his ERA is excellent. Santana is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in three career games against the Reds.  Earlier this season he allowed three runs and 10 hits in six innings in a 12-6 win.

The Reds send Johnny Cueto to the mound as they open a season-high 10 game homestand on Thursday.  Cueto is 7-9 with a 4.67 this season.  He gave up six runs and eight hits against the Mets in an 8-3 loss back in May.

Here are the MLB betting stats for Thursday’s game.  The Mets are 6-0 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Mets are 6-0 in their last 6 games as a favorite. The Mets are 10-1 in their last 11 overall. The Mets are 4-1 in their last 5 road games. The Mets are 0-6 in their last 6 games as a road favorite. The Mets are 1-5 in Santana’s last 6 starts as a favorite. The Mets are 0-4 in Santana’s last 4 road starts. The Mets are 6-2 in the last 8 meetings between the two teams.  
 
SBG Global Current Line: Mets  - 141 ,  Total  8.5 Under -115 

The Reds are 4-0 in their last 4 home games. The Reds are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. the National League East. The Reds are 8-3 in their last 11 home games vs. a left-handed starter. The Reds are 7-3 in their last 10 overall. The Reds are 5-2 in Cueto’s last 7 home starts.

The Over is 4-0-1 in the Mets last 5 vs. the National League Central. The Under is 9-1-1 in the Mets last 11 games as a favorite. The Under is 5-1 in the Mets last 6 overall. The Over is 5-1-1 in the Mets last 7 road games vs. a right-handed starter. The Under is 4-1-1 in the Mets last 6 games as a road favorite. The Under is 6-1-3 in Santana’s last 10 starts overall. The Under is 4-1 in Santana’s last 5 starts as a road favorite.

The Over is 5-2 in the Reds last 7 overall. The Under is 5-0 in Cueto’s last 5 starts overall. The Under is 8-2 in Cueto’s last 10 home starts. The Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Cincinnati between the two teams.

Pick: Take the red hot Mets, 4units

Wednesday, 8:05 pm Eastern

The big news out of Chicago on Tuesday was the Cubs getting Rich Harden from the Oakland Athletics. He is expected to form a powerful one-two combination at the top of the Cubs pitching staff with Wednesday’s starter Carlos Zambrano. The Cubs sent pitcher Sean Gallagher, catcher Josh Donaldson, infielder Eric Patterson and outfielder Matt Murton to the A’s for Harden and pitcher Chad Gaudin.

Check out the current line for this game at SBG Global.

Zambrano is still the ace of the Cubs staff and he gets the start on Wednesday against the Reds. Zambrano is 9-3 on the season with a 2.96 ERA. He threw six shutout innings in his last start against St. Louis. He is already 2-0 against the Red this year.

Cincinnati goes with Johnny Cueto on Wednesday. Cueto is 7-8 with a 4.63 ERA. He gave up three runs in seven innings against the Nationals in his last start. He has pitched well of late, giving up only six runs in his last four starts. He has pitched once in his career against the Cubs going six innings, allowing three runs and six hits.

Here are the MLB betting stats for Wednesday’s game. The Reds are 4-1 in their last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Reds are 7-16 in their last 23 games as a road underdog. The Reds are 2-5 in their last 7 vs. the National League Central. The Reds are 2-5 in Cueto’s last 7 starts as an underdog. The Reds are 2-6 in Cueto’s last 8 road starts. The Reds are 2-5 in the last 7 meetings in Chicago.

The Cubs are 41-12 in their last 53 games as a home favorite. The Cubs are 9-4 in their last 13 Wednesday games. The Cubs are 43-21 in their last 64 home games vs. a right-handed starter. The Cubs are 6-2 in Zambrano’s last 8 starts as a home favorite. The Cubs are 2-5 in Zambrano’s last 7 home starts vs. the Reds.

The Under is 11-5-1 in the Reds last 17 road games vs. a right-handed starter. The Under is 4-0 in Cueto’s last 4 starts overall.

The Over is 4-1 in the Cubs last 5 games as a home favorite. The Over is 12-4 in the Cubs last 16 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Under is 8-3 in Zambrano’s last 11 starts as a home favorite. The Over is 4-1 in Zambrano’s last 5 home starts vs. the Reds. The Over is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings in Chicago between the two teams.