A preview of Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs on Thursday, August 3 and expert picks ahead of this MLB fixture.
| Date & Time | Thursday, August 3, 8:05 P.M. Eastern |
| Moneyline | Cincinnati Reds (+136) vs. Chicago Cubs (-162) |
| Runline | Reds +1.5 (-137)/Cubs -1.5 (+114) |
| Total | Over 10.5 (-110)/Under 10.5 (-110) |
| Where | Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL |
| Weather | 83 degrees, cloudy, 10% chance of rain |
Reds vs. Cubs: Preview and Picks for August 3, 2023
The Reds and Cubs split the first two games of their four-game set, with both offenses exploding in a pair of high-scoring affairs.
The stage appears to be set for another shootout on Thursday night, as a pair of right handers take the mound against explosive offenses. Can we find an advantage?
Cincinnati Reds Preview
Cincinnati got a mediocre outing from Andrew Abbott on Monday followed by a full-blown pitching staff implosion Tuesday as the Cubs put up 20 runs.
Thursday, they’ll send 30-year-old right hander Luke Weaver up against Chicago. Weaver is a former first-round pick who occasionally shows flashes of that ability, as in his last start where he limited the Dodgers to two hits over six innings.
On the whole, however, Weaver is just as prone to disastrous starts as those prolific outings. He’s made it through the fifth innings only three times over his past 10 starts, yielding an overall 6.60 ERA.
The most frightening figure for Thursday at Wrigley? Weaver’s permitted 22 home runs this year in just 86 innings – more than one long ball every four innings. Not what you want to see against Chicago’s lineup.
Chicago Cubs Preview
The majors’ best offense since the All-Star break got stronger at Tuesday’s trade deadline, acquiring Jeimer Candelario from the Nationals.
A versatile corner infielder, Candelario has 16 home runs and 53 RBIs this year with Washington and batted sixth in his Chicago debut. He’s one more weapon for the Cubs to deploy in their quest to get back into the playoff race.
He’s especially dangerous against righties with an .887 OPS, and 13 of those 16 home runs.
Jameson Taillon struggled at the outset of 2023, but his last four starts have been Chicago wins with Taillon pitching into the sixth inning each outing, and allowing only five earned runs over 25.1 innings. He’s lowered his almost a full run with a 2.67 mark over five July starts, although walks remain a concern/
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs Prediction
The first two games of this series naturally make me look toward the total, but oddsmakers are adjusting with a 10 total instead of a 9 or 8.5 number.
So let’s look at the starting pitching matchup – Taillon shows more consistency over the past month or so than the up-and-down Weaver. We’re taking the risk of Weaver duplicating that outing against Los Angeles, but Taillon’s past month suggests he may be able to weather such a strong performance.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs Pick for Thursday, August 3
Chicago Cubs over Cincinnati Reds First 5 Innings (-172) – CLICK HERE TO BET!
