The Reds and Cubs face off in a rubber match on Sunday night at Wrigley Field after the teams split the first two games of this three-game series. Reds starter Chase Burns will try to silence the red-hot Cubs bats after Pete Crow-Armstrong hit three home runs Saturday to lead Chicago to a 17-5 victory and solidify his position as the NL MVP favorite. Warm temperatures and winds blowing out helped homers leave the park Saturday, and we have a similar forecast Sunday, so it could be another high-scoring affair. Sign up with the latest DraftKings promo code to bet on Reds vs. Cubs and get $200 in bonus bets:
First pitch Sunday night in Chicago is set for 7:20 p.m. ET. The Cubs are listed as -154 favorites in the latest MLB odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Reds are +143 underdogs and the Over/Under for total runs is set at 9. The SportsLine Projection Model has a B grade on the Cubs to win but also sees Reds +1.5 as a strong play. Chicago is winning in 66% of the model's simulations, but the Reds cover the run line 58% of the time.
Fans who think they'd like to try MLB betting or jump into parlay betting on the top sports betting apps can check out our model and expert picks for every game. And before you make any wagers on the Reds vs. Cubs, make sure you see which plays SportsLine MLB expert Angelo Magliocca is jumping on for his same-game parlay.
Magliocca, also known as "Amags," is a hugely profitable MLB capper who uses his deep knowledge of baseball to find value on player props, sides and totals. He is coming off another strong season at SportsLine. Over the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 MLB seasons, Amags is up 133.4 units on straight bets and parlays while winning an additional 25.3 units on ladder plays.
Here's Magliocca's picks for Reds vs. Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball.
Reds vs. Cubs same-game parlay
- Elly De La Cruz 1+ hits, runs, RBI
- Sal Stewart 1+ hits, runs, RBI
- Pete Crow-Armstrong 1+ hits, runs, RBI
SGP price: +106, DraftKings
As we know, Wrigley Field is one of the parks most susceptible to the wind in all of baseball, so when we get these games with stormy weather and winds projected to be pushing out at double-digit speeds, I try to take advantage and bet on home runs and/or simply just runs to be scored.
The last two days, these teams have soared over the full-game total, so I like a parlay of the full game total over 7, with the Cubs money line for around even money.
Chicago has won just two of its past eight games, but the Cubs have a massive four-game set coming up against the Brewers starting on Monday. Going into that losing seven of nine games would be a brutal way to start off. I think at some point the Cubs bats come around here and they win the game. With Chase Burns never having started against the Cubs and the relative unfamiliarity, I'm going to stay away from officially betting a side in this game and just leave you with the ideas on how to take a simple total and side type of bet tonight.
When looking for some props, Shota Imanaga is someone to target in this type of environment. He's going to need to be at his sharpest to succeed tonight, facing off with what should be a righty-heavy Reds lineup and being that he's more of a flyball pitcher. Imanaga's season average is around 46% fly balls, but in this type of weather you really need to keep the ball on the ground to avoid trouble.
Imanaga has done well in two starts against the Reds this year, so I'll give him credit there, but seeing him a third time could make things easier for these hitters. Temperatures should be in the high 70's with winds blowing out at double-digit speeds again, giving us a good hitting environment, but there is also rain in the forecast, so we'll see if that puts a damper on things.
Regardless, Imanaga has been giving up home runs with consistency, giving up at least one bomb in five straight starts, so I'd be shocked if the Reds don't score by way of the long ball. The question is, will they be able to finally break through for more than one run off Imanaga, as we saw in the last couple of starts between these two? My bet is that Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz are in the scoring mix in some way, with both hitting near the top of the order, on the away team, and doing their best work against southpaws this year.
Burns will likely be limited to around five innings, so the bullpen will have to cover at least a few innings for the Reds, and I think that's when PCA could pounce. He'll need to just get on the board with something tonight, whether that be a hit, run or RBI, and I'll be betting him for at least one walk at plus odds after seeing the damage he did last night.
It would not surprise me if Terry Francona put him on first base by way of intentional walk to avoid him hitting in a big spot late in the game.
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