The Chicago Cubs are in a six-team race for the three Wild Card spots in the National League along with the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and Miami Marlins. The Cubs currently have a 2-game lead in the National League Wild Card race over the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Wild Card race and have won three of their last five games, however, the Cubs are on a two-game losing streak which includes Saturday’s 1-2 loss in game three of the series on the road against the Cincinnati Reds. The lone run for the Cubs came in the 7^th inning when Jeimer Candelario hit a one-run home run.

The Cincinnati Reds enter this game having three of their last five games and are on a two-game winning streak which includes a 2-1 win at home against the Chicago Cubs in game three of the series on Saturday. Both of the runs for the Reds were scored in the bottom of the 9^th inning including the game-winning run. The Reds have a record of 71-67 which puts them six games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for 1^st place in the NL Central and .5-game behind the San Francisco Giants for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. 

BookMaker has the Chicago Cubs listed as -130 money line favorites on the road against the Cincinnati Reds in game four of the series on Sunday. Cincinnati has won six of the last ten and two of the last three games in the series, however, the Cubs have outscored the Reds by an average of 6.5 to 5.6 runs per game in the last ten and 3 to 2.33 runs per game in the last three games in the series.

Chicago has the slight advantage at pitcher on Sunday as the Cubs will send Jameson Taillon to the mound while the Reds will send Levi Stoudt to the mound for game four of the series. Taillon is 7-9 this season with a 5.62 ERA while recording 106 strikeouts while Stoudt is 0-1 on the year with an ERA of 9.58 and has recorded nine strikeouts in his rookie season.

Jameson Taillon is 1-1 with a no-decision in his last three starts against the Reds while allowing a total of ten runs and recording 14 strikeouts with the last start against Cincinnati resulting in a win in which Taillon allowed two runs and struck out five batters in the matchup.

Levis Stoudt has not pitched since July and only lasted 1/3^rd of an inning as he suffered an injury against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This will be his first start since suffering the injury against the Diamondbacks.

Chicago enters this game with a better record as they enter the game with a record of 72-64 while Cincinnati enters the game with a record of 71-67. The Reds have been the better team in the series, winning six of the last ten and two of the last three games. As a result, I will be taking the money line for the Cincinnati Reds +110 at home for game four of the series on BookMaker on Sunday afternoon.