Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs Picks and Prediction for Friday, September 19, 2025
Use Code WWWC The Chicago Cubs (88-64, 2nd NL Central) play game two of a four-game series on the road Friday against National League Central rival Cincinnati Reds (76-76, 3rd NL Central). Chicago defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-4 on Wednesday, and the Cubs have won four straight and seven of the last eight. Chicago clinched a postseason berth with the win. Cincinnati defeated the St Louis Cardinals 6-2 on Wednesday. The Reds have won two of the last three. Cincinnati is two games behind the third and final NL wildcard with 10 games remaining in the regular season. Cincinnati will play without 8 pitchers and left fielder Tyler Callihan. Chicago will play without 5 pitchers as well as position players Owen Caissie, Kyle Tucker, and Miguel Amaya. Make sure to read this in-depth Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs prediction. Step up to the plate! Check out our free MLB picks for the Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds prediction and swing for the fences.
This article was written before these two played on Thursday.
Chicago has clinched a playoff berth
The Chicago Cubs are performing well both at the plate and on the mound. Chicago is 6th in runs scored, 8th in slugging percentage, 9th in on-base percentage, and 13th in batting average. Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong each have hit 29 home runs to lead Chicago, and Seiya Suzuki is a close third with 27. Suzuki leads Chicago and RBI with 91, and Crow-Armstrong is second with 90. Chicago continues to play without Kyle Tucker, who was very productive before his injury, with 25 doubles, 4 triples, 22 home runs, and 73 RBI. Chicago has hit 251 doubles, 27 triples, and 205 home runs for 483 extra base hits in 152 games.
Chicago's pitching staff has been solid all season. The Cubs are second in WHIP, 7th in ERA, 10th in Quality Starts, and 11th in batting average against. Matthew Boyd leads the Cubs in wins with 13, strikeouts with 151, and ERA, for starters, with 3.20. Shota Imanaga gets the nod on the mound Friday. This season, the left-hander is 9-7 with a 3.29 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts.
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Cincinnati's hitting is adequate, but its pitching has kept it in the playoff hunt
The Cincinnati Reds have been average at the plate all season. Cincy has 13th in runs scored, 16th in both on-base percentage and batting average, while 21st in slugging percentage. Cincinnati's most productive hitter all season has been Elly De La Cruz, who leads the Reds in home runs (19), RBI (82), and hits (156). Spencer Steer is a close second in home runs with 18 and second in RBI with 69. Cincinnati has hit 238, 23 triples, and 153 home runs for 416 extra base hits in 152 games.
Cincinnati's pitching has kept the Reds in the postseason hunt. Cincinnati is 4th in Quality Starts, 8th in batting average against, 9th in WHIP, and 15th in ERA. Brady Singer leads Cincinnati in wins with 14 and in strikeouts with 155, while Andrew Abbott is the leader in ERA for starters with 2.88. On Friday, Cincinnati will hand the ball to Nick Lodolo. This season, the left-hander is 8-8 with a 3.30 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs Pick
Spread Pick for Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs
- Chicago Cubs (4 units)
Chicago has clinched a postseason berth, but will battle till the end for the National League Central crown. The Cubs currently trail Milwaukee by 5 games with 10 games remaining. The Cubs have performed well both at the plate and on the mound. Chicago starting pitcher Shota Imanaga has performed below par in each of his last four appearances, allowing 22 hits and 12 runs in 24 innings. Chicago is just 2-2 over that span. However, Imanaga has allowed just one run in 6.1 innings this season versus the Reds. Cincinnati starting pitcher Nick Lodolo was roughed up last time out, allowing five runs in 5.1 innings. In three appearances this season against Chicago, Lodolo has allowed 3 earned runs over 11.2 innings. Although Chicago starter Imanaga has performed below his standards of late, the left-hander has an excellent WHIP at 0.90. Chicago has won 6 of the last 7 overall and five of the last six against a team from the NL Central. Cincinnati has lost 4 of the last 6 overall.
Over/Under Pick for Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs
- Under (4 units)
Both starting pitchers have excellent WHIPs, as Chicago’s Imanaga has a 0.90 WHIP and Cincinnati’s Lodolo has a 1.04 WHIP. That means fewer baserunners and fewer opportunities for runs. The total has finished under in five of Chicago's last six played on the road and in seven of Cincinnati’s last 10 overall.
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