The Cubs (71-62, 34-31 away) travel to take on the Reds (69-66, 31-34 home) in game one of this NL Central matchup. Jordan Wicks is getting the start for the Cubs while Graham Ashcraft is starting for the Reds. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds showdown at Great American Ball Park.

CHICAGO CUBS VS CINCINNATI REDS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Cubs -1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Great American Ball Park at 1:10 ET on Friday, September 1st.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO CUBS:

  • The Cubs will be taking on a Reds club that is just 1-2 vs. the runline in their last three games.
  • Over their last ten games as the favorite, the Reds are just 2-8 against the runline.
  • Graham Ashcraft has given up five away runs across his last four starts.

CHICAGO CUBS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN NL CENTRAL

Winners of two straight games, the Cubs are in 2nd place in the NL Central. So far, they have a series win percentage of 62% (23-14-4). Chicago has gone 34-31 on the road this season compared to 37-31 at home.

The Chicago Cubs are banking on Jordan Wicks to bring them another victory, as the last time he was on the mound they emerged victorious over the Pittsburgh Pirates (10-6). Wicks had a solid outing, allowing just one earned run on two hits in five innings of work.

Offensively, Chicago is ranked 6th in the league with an average of 5 runs per game. When looking over their last five matchups, the Cubs averaged 5.2 runs per contest, which is 7th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Chicago is 14th in all of baseball, with a total of 158 home runs.

Over the Cubs’ past five contests, Ian Happ has been the leader in home runs with one. He has hit a total of 16 long balls this season and holds a batting average of .244.

WILL THE CINCINNATI REDS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

For the season, the Reds have put together a record of 69-66 and are 3rd in the NL Central, putting them six games out of first place. Cincinnati’s overall series record sits at 19-18-4. On the road, they have gone 38-32 and 31-34 at home.

Graham Ashcraft takes the mound for the Reds with a 7-8 record. He has made 25 appearances so far this season, boasting an ERA of 4.74 and a K/9 of 6.72. His FIP stands at 5.11, while his OBP is .329.

Despite a quality start in his most recent outing, Graham Ashcraft was unable to secure the win for the Reds as they fell to the Diamondbacks 5-2. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits, but was left with a no-decision.

With a season-long average of 4.7 runs per game, the Reds are the 10th ranked scoring offense this season. As a team, they are batting .247, with an OBP of .323. In Cincinnati’s last ten games, they are 12th in home runs, having gone deep two times in that span.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been a bright spot for the Reds’ offense over their last five games, leading the team in hits and batting .312. The veteran infielder is hitting .252 on the season and has driven in 19 runs.