Cincinnati Reds vs Houston Astros Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 5/8/26, 2:48 PM  by Carlos Zabala | Modified on 5/18/26 at 4:04 PM in MLB Picks

The inspired Cubs swept the Reds in a four-game series at Wrigley Field. They lost the first three games by a single run. Francona's team also lost the final game 3-8, imploding in the fourth inning, where they allowed seven runs. Now, although they maintain a winning record of 20-18, they sit at the bottom of the Central Division after the Pirates swept them.

They return to Great American Ball Park, where they will start a series against the Astros on Friday. While the Reds are without Venezuelan slugger Eugenio Suárez due to an oblique injury, Carlos Correa was placed on the Astros' 10-day IL list; the move is a mere formality, as he will require season-ending ankle surgery.

The situation is more than worse news for an unrecognizable Astros team languishing at the bottom of the AL East with a 15-23 record. Houston is coming off a two-game series loss at home against the Dodgers. In the final game of that series, the pitching was so poor that it allowed three home runs to Andy Pages, who came within one hit of tripling Houston's five.