Monday brings the National League Central showdown at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, as the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds open a three-game series with the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET. Cincinnati has dominated this rivalry in 2021, winning nine of its 13 games against Chicago, so let’s see what’s the best Cubs vs. Reds betting pick for Game 14. 

According to Bookmaker Sportsbook, the hosts opened as firm -240 favorites to beat the Cubs on Monday. The visitors are +216 moneyline dogs, and the totals sit at 9.5 runs. 

The rebuilding Cubbies are in free fall  

The Chicago Cubs extended their losing streak to ten games this past Saturday, suffering a 5-4 defeat at the Miami Marlins. They allowed more than four runs for the fifth straight outing, and the Cubs’ pitching has been terrible since the trade deadline (7.93 ERA, second-highest in the MLB).

Things are not going well on the other side either, as the Cubs have scored 51 runs over their previous 13 contests while posting a .240/.292/.377 batting line. They’ve slugged 13 home runs and only 19 doubles so far this month.

Justin Steele will get his second major-league start Monday, and the 26-year-old rookie is 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA and 1.09 WHIP through his 12 appearances and 18.1 innings of work so far. Last Tuesday, Steele took a loss in his debut as the starting pitcher, allowing three earned runs (two homers) on five hits and a walk across five innings of work.

The Reds aim for their sixth straight win at home

The Cincinnati Reds fell to 63-55 on the season following a 6-1 defeat at Philadelphia this past Saturday. It was their fourth defeat in the previous six showings overall, so the Reds were two and a half games out of the playoff picture in the National League on Sunday.

Cincinnati is undefeated in its previous five outings at Great American Ball Park. The Reds have recorded the second-best OPS in the majors so far this month (.858), smacking a whopping 26 runs and 30 doubles in the process.

On the pitching side of things, the Reds own a decent 3.89 ERA and a .223 batting average against in August. Wade Miley will get the Cubs on Monday, and he’s 1-0 with a 3.94 ERA and 1.87 WHIP in three starts against Chicago this term. The 34-year-old left-hander hasn’t been charged for a loss since May while tallying a nice 2.84 ERA over his previous seven starts (44.1 innings).

Betting Trends:

Chicago:

  • 2-16 in the last 18 games overall 
  • 1-7 in the last eight games against Cincinnati  

Cincinnati:

  • 12-6 in the last 18 games overall 
  • 5-0 in the last five outings at home

Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds Pick

The Cubs will try their best to upset the odds against the divisional rivals, but I don’t think they have enough firepower in their bullpen to deal with the Reds’ offense that has been terrific at home so far, posting a .261/.345/.460 slash line.

Wade Miley struggled mightily in his previous start and yielded five earned runs across five innings of work at the Atlanta Braves. He’ll look to right the ship, and the current Cubs are slashing only .187/.247/.260 in 65 at-bats against Miley.

Cubs vs. Reds Pick: Reds -240

The Total:

Considering the Reds’ mighty offense and the Cubs’ pitching woes, Monday’s clash in Cincinnati should be a proper high-scoring affair. Great American Ball Park ranks third in the majors when it comes to the hitter-friendly environment which is another reason to bet on the over.

Three of the last four encounters between the Cubbies and Reds went in the over along with a push, and all four produced runs in double digits.

Cubs vs. Reds Total: Over 9.5