Cubs vs. Reds prediction, odds, time: 2026 MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 28 by proven model

This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and sign up, make a deposit, or place a wager, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. SportsLine's model simulated Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs 10,000 times and revealed its MLB picks for Friday's matchup Aug 28, 2026 at 2:06 pm ET • 2 min read The Cincinnati Reds (63-71) make the trip to Wrigley Field on Friday for a 2:20 p.m. ET matinee against the Chicago Cubs (76-58). Cincinnati won its most recent game, a 10-9 comeback victory over San Francisco on Wednesday, while the Cubs have dropped two of their last three. Rhett Lowder (5-8, 5.13 ERA) takes the mound for the Reds, while left-hander David Peterson (7-7, 5.17 ERA) starts for Chicago. Chicago holds a 13-game edge over Cincinnati in the NL Central standings this season. Visit our DraftKings promo code review and get $200 in bonus bets as a new user after $5+ in wagers here:The Cubs are -196 on the money line (risk $196 to win $100) in the latest Reds vs. Cubs odds, with the Reds at +175. The over/under for total runs is 8.5. Before making any Reds vs. Cubs picks, be sure to see the Reds vs. Cubs predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model. The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times and entered Week 23 of the MLB season on a sizzling 49-34 run on all top-rated MLB picks. It also excelled at making home run prop picks in 2025, returning nearly 30 units of profit. Anyone following its MLB betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns. Now, the model has set its sights on Reds vs. Cubs and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several MLB odds and betting lines for Reds vs. Cubs:Reds vs. Cubs money lineCubs -196, Reds +175Reds vs. Cubs over/under8.5 runsReds vs. Cubs run line Cubs -1.5 (+104) Reds vs. Cubs picksSee picks at SportsLineReds vs. Cubs streaming Fubo (Try for free) New to sports trading? Visit our Kalshi promo code review and get a $25 trading bonus after $25+ in trades with the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS:Top Reds vs. Cubs predictions After 10,000 simulations of Reds vs. Cubs, the model is going Under 8.5 combined runs for over/under betting. Chicago is also shorthanded, with Dansby Swanson (oblique) and Ben Brown (neck) among several Cubs missing from the lineup. Three of the Reds' last four games have gone Under the total. SportsLine's model projects 1.7 total bases or more for three Reds players, including Elly De La Cruz at 2.2 total bases. The Cubs, meanwhile, are projected to get 1.7 total bases from two players, with Pete Crow-Armstrong leading the way at 2.07 total bases. The model projects the teams to combine for 8.5 total runs, and the model projects that the Under is the value side. Get the Reds vs. Cubs money-line pick at SportsLine.How to make Reds vs. Cubs picksAfter simulating every pitch of Reds vs. Cubs 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can get that pick at SportsLine. So who wins Reds vs. Cubs, and which side of the money line has all 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.