The Cubs (55-53, 29-27 home) will host the Reds (59-51, 31-25 away) in game four of this NL Central series. Starting for the Cubs is Jameson Taillon, while the Reds are giving the ball to Luke Weaver. Read on to see my pick for this showdown between Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.

CINCINNATI REDS VS CHICAGO CUBS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cincinnati Reds +135

This game will be played at Wrigley Field at 8:05 ET on Thursday, August 3rd.

WHY BET THE CINCINNATI REDS:

  • As the favorite on the road, the Reds’ win streak currently stands at five games.
  • Cincinnati has the leg up over the Cubs so far this year at 5-3.
  • The Cubs’ are just 6-12 in Jameson Taillon’s 18 starts.

CINCINNATI REDS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

The Reds head into today’s game ranked 1st in the NL Central on an overall record of 59-51. So far, they have put together an above .500 mark on the road at 31-25 and across 33 series, they are 16-13-4.

Luke Weaver has made 18 appearances this season, with a .569 slugging percentage allowed and a 1.60 WHIP. His record stands at 2-3, with an ERA of 6.80 and 67 strikeouts, averaging 7.01 per nine innings. On the road, Weaver is 1-3 with an ERA of 6.12; at home he is 1-0 with an ERA of 9.35.

Luke Weaver will look to build on his last outing, when he pitched six frames and gave up one earned run on two hits. Unfortunately, the Reds were defeated 3-2 by the Dodgers.

During their last ten games, Cincinnati is the 12th ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .254 and are averaging 5.1 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Reds are hitting .253 with an OBP of .331 while averaging 4.9 runs per contest. This figure puts them 6th in the league.

The Reds’ leader in hits, Spencer Steer, is batting .272 this season. His slugging percentage is .463 and his on-base percentage is .357.

WILL THE CHICAGO CUBS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

This season, the Cubs have played a total of 33 series and are above .500 at 17-12-4. On the road, Chicago is 26-26 and 29-27 at home. Their overall record of 55-53 has the Cubs sitting 3rd in the NL Central.

Jameson Taillon has taken the hill 18 times in 2021, compiling a 5-6 record. He has not allowed a home run in his last two outings and his slugging percentage allowed is currently .446. The right-hander has struck out 77 batters while maintaining a WHIP of 1.37.

The Chicago Cubs are hoping that Jameson Taillon can lead them to another victory, as they triumphed over the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 the last time he took the mound. The right-hander completed six innings of work, allowing one earned run on two hits.

Having gone deep 24 times in their last ten games, the Cubs are 1st in that span. At 5.1 runs per game, Chicago is 5th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .258 while hitting a total of 132 home runs (11th).

Nico Hoerner has been a consistent presence in the Chicago lineup this season, boasting a .277 batting average and .399 slugging percentage. Over the past ten games, Hoerner has led the team in hits and is hitting an impressive .320.