Without question, the highlight of Thursday’s MLB schedule is the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds, which will be played at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa.
The odds are tight, with Cincinnati’s moneyline listed at -115 and Chicago’s moneyline at -105. There is also an over/under of nine runs.
The Reds head into their three-game series with the Cubs this weekend after getting swept by the Mets. They’ve now lost five of their last seven games, dropping them behind both the Cubs and Pirates and into last place in the NL Central. Cincinnati is now 22 games under .500 and has the second-worst record in the National League.
Of course, the Cubs aren’t doing much better, as they are just a game ahead of the Reds in the standings. However, Chicago has won its last two series, taking two of three games from both the Marlins and Nationals. But that has still left the Cubs 20 games under .500.
Time to Smile
Drew Smyly will have the honor of starting Thursday’s game in Iowa for the Cubs. The lefty has made 14 starts this year, going 4-6 with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.
However, Smyly has endured plenty of ups and downs this year, posting a 6.06 ERA in July but tossing 6.2 scoreless innings against the Marlins in his last start.
However, despite the recent winning stretch, the Cubs still aren’t producing much offensively, averaging just 2.6 runs per game over their last ten games while getting shut out three times during that stretch.
The good news is that Chicago didn’t trade all-stars Willson Contreras and Ian Happ at the trade deadline, so there are still impact players in the lineup. Nico Hoerner is also in the midst of a good run, although other key power sources like Patrick Wisdom and Seiya Suzuki are currently slumping.
In the Nick of Time
The Reds will have their own lefty on the mound, with rookie Nick Lodolo getting the start.
In the first nine starts of his career, the southpaw is 3-3 with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. While he’s averaging just 4.7 innings per start, Lodolo has allowed three runs or less in seven of his nine starts this year.
Unfortunately, the Cincinnati offense isn’t producing much these days, scoring two runs or less in six of their last eight games. The Cincinnati outfield has become a black hole of productivity since the trade deadline, while Joey Votto is also slumping.
Outside of Donovan Solano and Kyle Farmer, the Reds aren’t getting much production from anyone these days.
Field of Dreams?
It’s hard to trust either of these teams to get a win in this game, with both teams struggling to score runs.
That could give value to the under, although last year’s game at the Field of Dreams movie site was a high-scoring affair, so a repeat of that can’t be overlooked. If nothing else, the Cubs have had some success against bad teams lately, making Chicago the safest bet in Thursday’s game.
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