National League Central Division rivals meet up on Thursday night for the first game in a four-game series. The Chicago Cubs will visit the Cincinnati Reds, and these two teams just met up at Wrigley Field over the weekend.
Chicago comes into this game with a ton of momentum as they just swept a brief two-game series with the Chicago White Sox. The Cubs are now back at the .500 mark on the year, and they need to go on a big run.
Cincinnati comes into this game on a four-game winning streak after sweeping the Colorado Rockies. The Reds are still just 29-33 on the year, and it has been a disappointing start for this team so far in 2024.
The Cincinnati Reds are betting favorites in the series opener at -125, and the over/under line is set at 9.5 total runs.
Cubs Starting to Score
The offensive numbers for the Chicago Cubs this season have been hard to look at as this team has a number of players slumping. Chicago has scored seven runs in two straight games, and they are starting to get some big swings of the bat.
Christopher Morel had a big home run earlier this week, and he is leading the team with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs. The Cubs are an extremely patient team on offense, and that could end up being the difference in this game.
Javier Assad will be on the mound for Chicago, and he comes into this game at 4-1 on the year, and also sports a very impressive 2.27 ERA. The Cubs will need a good start from Assad as that bullpen has been overworked.
Reds Need Pitching
The Cincinnati Reds now have a team ERA of 3.93 this season, and that pitching staff has allowed the team to turn things around. Cincinnati has an offense that will do some damage, but it’s all about getting enough pitching to win games.
Hunter Greene is on the mound on Thursday night, and he is considered to be the ace of this staff. Greene has gone 3-2 with a 3.44 ERA this season, and he just had a dominant start against the Cubs.
Elly De La Crus is having a big year at the plate for the Reds as he leads the team with 10 home runs, and is always a threat on the basepaths.
Cubs Continue to Win
Momentum is a big thing in the sport of baseball, but both teams appear to have a ton of momentum ahead of this game. Chicago is a better team overall though, and their momentum will end up mattering more in this game.
The Cubs have an offense that can put runs on the board in a hurry, and they will find a way to chase Greene from the game in this one. Expect a game that is decided in the final inning, and it will be the Cubs that get a big hit.
Bet the Chicago Cubs at +115 on the moneyline as they will begin the four-game series with an impressive win.
