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The Chicago Cubs will look to close the 2022 season on a roll when they take on the Cincinnati Reds in the final six games of the season, including three this weekend at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Cubs (70-86), third in the National League Central, have won 12 of their past 16 games. The Reds (60-96), fourth in the division, are just one game ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates as they try to avoid a last-place finish. Cincinnati has not finished fifth in the Central since the 2018 season.

Friday's game is slated to begin at 2:20 p.m. ET. The Cubs enter the game with the 19th-best team batting average in MLB at .239, while the Reds are 21st with a .237 mark. Chicago is the -160 favorite (risk $160 to win $100) on the money line in the latest Reds vs. Cubs odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total runs scored is 7. Before making any Cubs vs. Reds picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, and it enters the penultimate week of the regular season on a 14-3 run on top-rated money-line picks, returning almost $900 for $100 players. This is the same model that pegged the 2021 Atlanta Braves at 10-1 as one of three best bets to win it all last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Cubs vs. Reds and revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see all of the model's MLB picks. Here are several MLB odds and trends for Reds vs. Cubs:

  • Reds vs. Cubs money line: Cincinnati +135, Chicago -160
  • Reds vs. Cubs run line: Cubs -1.5 (+140)
  • Reds vs. Cubs over/under: 7 runs
  • CIN: The under is 10-2 in the Reds' last 12 games overall
  • CHC: The Cubs are 8-1 in their last nine Friday games
  • Reds vs. Cubs picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why you should back the Cubs

Chicago, which will send righty Adrian Sampson (3-5, 3.23 ERA) to the hill, has won seven of the 13 meetings with Cincinnati this season. Helping lead the Cubs offense is center fielder Ian Happ, who is hitting .270 on the year with 17 homers, 70 RBI and 70 runs scored. He has hits in five of the past six games, including a 2-for-3 performance on Tuesday vs. the Philadelphia Phillies. Against the Reds in 2022, he is hitting .260 with four doubles, four homers and 14 RBIs.

Left fielder Seiya Suzuki returned to the lineup on Thursday after missing time with an injury, and didn't miss a beat. He went 2-for-3 with a triple after missing 13 days. Prior to the injury, he had hit in four consecutive games, going 5-for-15 (.333) in that span. For the season, Suzuki is hitting .263 with 13 homers, 45 RBI and 48 runs scored in 104 games.

Why you should back the Reds

With not much to play for, Cincinnati would like to finish the season on a positive note and hold off the Pittsburgh Pirates to avoid a last-place finish. The Reds will send rookie right-hander Graham Ashcraft (5-4, 4.18 ERA) to the hill. He had pitched well for most of the season before landing on the injured list in mid-August. After going 6 2/3 innings against the Pirates on Aug. 19, allowing just three earned runs on nine hits, while striking out eight, he left the start and did not pitch for more than a month. In his return last week, he allowed four earned runs on eight hits in four innings in a 10-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Leading the Reds' offense will be third baseman Kyle Farmer, who has hit the Cubs hard this season. In the series in Chicago earlier this month, he was 5-for-12 with a triple, two homers and four RBI. In 10 games against the Cubs on the year, Farmer is batting .439 with a triple, four homers and 13 RBIs. He is batting .255 overall with 14 homers, 76 RBIsand 58 runs scored. He was 3-for-7 with a homer and two RBIs in his last two games against the Pirates.

How to make Reds vs. Cubs picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 8.8 combined runs. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the model's MLB picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Cubs vs. Reds? And which side has all of the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.