Baseball bettors look for value at Wrigley Field on Friday as host Chicago battles the Cincinnati Reds in baseball odds action.

Mike Leake gets the ball in front of a hostile crowd for the Reds on this day; he's 1-1 on the season. The Cubs, meanwhile, will counter with Carlos Villanueva, who will be looking to improve on his 1-1 mark.



View Cincinnati vs Chi Cubs Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Those who planned on backing the visitors in this one found the Reds listed as favorites of 115 at most sportsbooks, including Sportsbook. Total bettors saw the number open in the area of 999, check for updates at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings:
This game matches up the No. 8 (Cubs) and the No. 9 (Reds) teams in their respective leagues, according to our current MLB Power Rankings.



How They Match Up:
Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Chicago's National League No. 12-ranked scoring average of 3.6 runs per game, against a Reds offense rated No. 6 and scoring 4.4 runs per game in the league. The Cubs have averaged 8.1 hits per game to date this season, less than the Reds hitters have managed (8.3 per nine innings).

Chicago owns the National League's No. 7 defense, allowing 4.2 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with Cincinnati's National League No. 3-rated defense.

Last time out for Cincinnati, they were a 4-2 loser as they battled the Cardinals on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Cardinals at -115 were rewarded, while the 6 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Reds endured a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Cardinals on Wednesday, with Homer Bailey throwing 5 1/3 innings of 9-hit ball at Busch Stadium.

Chicago was a 4-2 loser in its last match at home against the Padres. They lost as -121 favorites, while the total score of 6 made winners of UNDER bettors. Chicago looks to rebound from a loss to the Padres, who beat them 4-2 on Thursday behind a start from Eric Stults at Wrigley Field.


Cincinnati Reds Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Chi Cubs are 7-3
After playing St. Louis are 3-7
After a loss are 4-6

Chicago Cubs Trends:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Cincinnati are 3-7
After playing San Diego are 4-6
After a loss are 5-5

A few Reds at Cubs trends to consider:
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Cincinnati is 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs' last 5 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs' last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs' last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi Cubs' last 10 games


Next up:
Cincinnati at Chi Cubs, Saturday, May 4