Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, Preview and Odds - 08/28/2026

Game Time: 2:20 pm ET, Friday, August 28, 2026

Venue:  Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL 

Where to Watch:  ESPN Unlimited, MLB TV

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Reds +163, Cubs -199; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Reds +165, Cubs -200; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Reds +165, Cubs -200; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Cincinnati Reds:  63-71 (5th place, NL Central)

Chicago Cubs:  76-58 (2nd place, NL Central)

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Cincinnati Reds:  4-6 last 10

Chicago Cubs:  4-6 last 10

The Reds are entering this series off a win and lost their 3-game series against the San Francisco Giants 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 63-71 record overall and have a road record of 31-35. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Cubs on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 25th in the MLB with a .698 OPS. Nick Lodolo was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Rhett Lowder is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 5-8 with a 5.13 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 3 ER, 2 HR, and 1 BB with 1 SO on 6 hits through 6 IP against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Cubs are entering this series off a loss and lost their 3-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 76-58 record overall and have a home record of 38-27. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Reds on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 2nd in the MLB with a .760 OPS. Matthew Boyd was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while David Peterson is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 7-7 with a 5.17 ERA this season. His team won 6 of their last 7 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 earned runs, 1 homer, and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts on 4 hits through 6 innings pitched against the Seattle Mariners.

The current betting odds have the Cubs listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cubs have looked great in their games this season with their 76-58 record overall which has them right near the top of the NL Central. They have looked good in their own ballpark too with their 38-27 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Reds haven't looked good in their games this season with their 63-71 record overall which has them right at the bottom of the NL Central. They haven't been a great road team either with their 31-35 road record this year. Neither team has looked great lately as both are 4-6 in their last 10 games respectively, but the Cubs do have the stronger offense this season and that is going to give them the edge. The Reds are going with Lowder in this one and he hasn't looked great this season. He is 5-8 with a 5.13 ERA and he has been giving up a lot of runs this year. The team has been having more success with him lately, winning 2 games in a row now with him starting, but he did give up 3 earned runs in his last start which has been a common theme for him. The Cubs are going with Peterson in this one and he hasn't looked great this season either. He is 7-7 with a 5.17 ERA, but he has looked a lot better since getting traded to the Cubs. He is coming off another good start giving up 2 earned runs which is starting to become a common theme for him and the team has also had a ton of success with him lately, winning 6 of their last 7 games with him starting. The Cubs will also be looking to bounce back from a series loss to the Diamondbacks and the Reds have been in a slump over the last few weeks, drifting further away from the Wild Card race. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game. 

Reds Cubs Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Friday, August 28, 2026 (2:20 pm ET start time) is Cubs 6 Reds 3.

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Cincinnati Reds: 222-237 (-9.2 units) on the moneyline in all games. 62-81 (-18.4 units) on the moneyline against division opponents. 51-70 (-20.7 units) on the moneyline against left-handed starters. 6-3 OVER as a road underdog of +150 to +200.

Chicago Cubs: 256-210 (+17.8 units) on the moneyline in all games. 137-95 (+12.1 units) on the moneyline in home games. 170-112 (+12.1 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -110 or higher. 35-23 OVER vs. an NL team with a slugging percentage .400 or worse on the season.

Cincinnati Reds:  M. Toglia (1B) Ten Day IL - Shoulder. H. Greene (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. B. Dunn (CF) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. S. Steer (1B) Ten Day IL - Wrist. G. Ashcraft (RP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. B. Williamson (SP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder.

Chicago Cubs:  P. Maton (RP) Sixty Day IL - Knee. E. Cabrera (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Blister. D. Swanson (SS) Ten Day IL - Side. B. Brown (RP) Sixty Day IL - Neck. G. Hollowell (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Shoulder. M. Shaw (RF) Ten Day IL - Hand. H. Milner (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Appendicitis. R. Martin (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. P. Hodge (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. C. Horton (SP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. H. Harvey (RP) Sixty Day IL - Tricep. J. Steele (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. T. Austin (1B) Sixty Day IL - Knee. S. Miller (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

“Geno hits the home run and you’re kind of like, ‘Why can’t that be the tying run?' But to our guys’ credit, they kept going.” - Terry Francona after his team’s win against the Giants in their game on Wednesday.

“They flat-out missed it. It's obvious to everybody on TV. It's obvious to anybody. They missed it.” - Craig Counsell on a missed balk in their loss against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Héctor Rodríguez (L) RF

Elly De La Cruz (S) SS

Sal Stewart (R) 1B

JJ Bleday (L) LF

Eugenio Suárez (R) DH

Dane Myers (R) CF

Matt McLain (R) 2B

Jose Trevino (R) C

Ke'Bryan Hayes (R) 3B

Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF

Seiya Suzuki (R) RF

Alex Bregman (R) DH

Michael Busch (L) 1B

Nico Hoerner (R) SS

Tyrone Taylor (R) LF

Pedro Ramírez (S) 3B

Carson Kelly (R) C

Gabriel Arias (R) 2B

Batting Average:  Blake Dunn (.282)

Hits:  Sal Stewart (134)

Home Runs:  Sal Stewart (28)

RBI:  Sal Stewart (100)

Stolen Bases:  Elly De La Cruz (23)

Wins:  Chase Burns (14)

Saves:  Emilio Pagán (17)

ERA:  Brock Burke (2.69)

Batting Average:  Justin Dean (.375)

Hits:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (141)

Home Runs:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (33)

RBI:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (83)

Stolen Bases:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (32)

Wins:  Colin Rea (8)

Saves:  Jacob Webb (9)

ERA:  Ty Blach (0.00)

Managers:

Cincinnati Reds: Terry Francona (2nd season)

Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell (3rd season)