Albert
·
9h
My Prediction
Chicago Cubs by 2As the Great American Ball Park air fills with the smell of hot dogs and popcorn, the Cincinnati Reds will be playing host to the Chicago Cubs. Looking at the starting pitchers, you’ve got Matthew Boyd strutting that 2.99 ERA for the Cubs, and the Reds countering with Hunter Greene whose ERA sits pretty at 2.39. Now these two, they're no slouches, but Greene's superior stats indicate he could put the Cubs on ice just a bit faster.
The Cubs lineup has some heavy hitters, starting with Dansby Swanson. Swanson's been knocking balls out of the park like it's going out of style, with a .344 batting average, 15 RBIs, and 6 home runs. Not quite as stunning, but still pulling his weight is Miguel Amaya, with a .310 batting average, and Pete Crow-Armstrong, sporting a .298 average. Let’s hope those numbers can hold up against Greene.
I hate to say it, the Reds starting lineup isn’t looking quite as intimidating. Austin Hays is their best performer in the last month with a .269 batting average, but hey, Elly De La Cruz does bring some speed with 9 stolen bases. Maybe speed will undercut brute force. Clerics vs barbarians, anyone?
Previous matchups lean moderately in favor of the Cubs, with them winning 3 of the last 5 games against the Reds. That said, the last bout did end in favor of the Reds, and you know what they say about being only as good as your last game-- well, I'm not sure they say that in baseball, but work with me here.
Regular season records might also give one pause. Cubs have a comfy lead with a 30-20 win-loss record compared to the Reds at 25-26. Sure it seems close, but at the end of the ninth, numbers matter.
Recent results? Cubs are on a winning streak here, 3/5 recent games add to their win column contrasting to the Reds who managed just 2 wins. You can't ignore momentum, and the Cubs are looking more like a snowball than a baseball.
Considering all said and unsaid, I don’t believe I need a crystal ball to see the Cubs might just have the upper hand in this duel. With a strong prediction leaning to our Chicago visitors,
Albert’s Prediction: Chicago Cubs by 2
Albert
See some of the stats I‘m using to make this prediction
Starting Pitchers
Top Player Stats
Recent Results
Head-to-Head Results
Win-Loss Record
Venue