Ben Lively gets the start for the Reds (59-49, 31-23 away) against Justin Steele and the Cubs (53-53, 27-27 home). Today will be game two of their series, with the Reds leading 1-0. Check out who I like to see who comes out on top in today’s Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs matchup.

CINCINNATI REDS VS CHICAGO CUBS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Cubs -166

This game will be played at Wrigley Field at 8:05 ET on Tuesday, August 1st.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO CUBS:

  • In their previous ten games, the Cubs have a record of 8-2.
  • The Cubs have gone 4-1 in their five games at home.
  • In Ben Lively’s 11 starts, the Reds have a record of just 5-6.

CINCINNATI REDS HAVE STRUGGLED AGAINST THE NL CENTRAL

So far this season, Cincinnati has played in 33 series, going 16-13-4. Their current record of 59-49 is good for first place in the NL Central. On the road, the Reds have gone 31-23 compared to 28-26 at home.

Ben Lively is making his 14th start of the season with a record of 4-6. His ERA stands at 3.76, with opposing hitters batting .242 against him. On the road, he has gone 2-4 with a 3.46 ERA, while at home he is 2-2 and has posted an ERA of 3.59. Teams have managed to slug .436 against him for the season thus far.

Ben Lively’s most recent start ended in a quality outing, yet the Reds still fell to the Brewers 3-0. He yielded eight hits and two earned runs over 6 2/3 innings of work.

This season, the Reds are 6th in the league at 4.9 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .241 (18th) leading to 4.6 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.5 walks per game compared to 9 strikeouts. Cincinnati’s on-base percentage of .331 has them 5th in the MLB.

Over the Reds’ last five games, Jake Fraley has been the team’s leader in home runs with one. On the season, Fraley has blasted 15 long balls and is batting .268.

WILL THE CHICAGO CUBS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

On a record of 53-53, the Cubs come into today’s game 3rd in the NL Central. When playing at home, they are 27-27 and 26-26 on the road. Chicago has played in 33 series thus far, and have gone 17-12-4.

Justin Steele is set to take the mound for the Cubs with an 11-3 record this season. He’s made 19 appearances so far, boasting a 2.87 ERA and 8.21 K/9 rate. His FIP is 3.10 and opponents have a .282 OBP against him.

The Cubs earned a victory in Justin Steele’s most recent outing, defeating the Cardinals 10-3. The right-hander pitched six innings, surrendering five hits and one earned run to improve his record to W-L.

For the season, the Cubs are 9th in batting average, hitting a combined .254. Over their last five games, they have hit .262 which is 6th in that span. Chicago’s average of 4.9 runs per game puts them 7th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 120 times and have a team slugging percentage of .409.

Nico Hoerner has been the Cubs’ leader in hits this season, boasting a .275 batting average. His slugging percentage is .394 and on-base percentage is .330 entering the game.