Reds vs. Cubs: Picks, predictions, how to watch Tuesday’s game

The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs square off on Tuesday with first pitch set for 8:05 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Wrigley Field in Chicago and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Luis Castillo gets the nod for the Reds, while Keegan Thompson takes the mound for the Cubs.

Both teams are quickly approaching irrelevance in the NL Central this season, which was expected to be the case. The Reds are in the midst of a rebuild, while the Cubs are just entering a new one after dealing their stars at the deadline last year. When two rebuilding clubs go up against each other, truly anything can happen. That makes this matchup tough to predict from a betting standpoint.

Reds vs. Cubs

Pitchers: Luis Castillo vs. Keegan Thompson
First pitch: 8:05 p.m. ET
Reds local broadcast: Bally Sports Ohio
Cubs local broadcast: Marquee Sports Network
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Cubs -1.5
Run total: 9.5
Moneyline odds: Reds +105, Cubs -125

Moneyline pick: Cubs -125

The teams have gone 2-2 against each other so far, with Cincinnati winning 20-5 in the last matchup. The Cubs will get a boost playing in front of a home crowd, which might be enough to make the difference in a matchup of two bad teams.

Player prop pick: Keegan Thompson over 3.5 strikeouts (-150)

Thompson has gone well over this line in his last two starts, so grabbing this prop at -150 is a steal. The Reds have one of the worst offenses in baseball and although they don’t strikeout a lot, this line is too low to take the under.

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