Anthony Rizzo on Cubs vs. Reds Sunday Night Baseball TV guide
DIRECT ANSWER: The Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds series finale on Sunday Night Baseball was delayed by rain at Wrigley Field, pushing first pitch from 7:20 p.m. ET toward roughly 7:45 p.m. ET. Former Cubs star Anthony Rizzo joins Jason Benetti's NBC broadcast crew as the Cubs (-156) host the Reds (+140) with Chase Burns vs. Shota Imanaga.
Key Takeaways
- Rain delayed the Wrigley Field start on Aug. 30, with the Cubs estimating a roughly 25-minute push past the 7:20 p.m. ET schedule.
- NBC's Sunday Night Baseball crew includes Anthony Rizzo alongside Jason Benetti, Jeff Brantley, Ahmed Fareed and Joey Votto.
- Chicago enters as a -156 favorite with a 9.5-run total; SportsLine's model leans Under on the over/under.
- The rubber match follows a split series: Cincinnati won 10-8 Friday before Chicago answered with a 17-5 rout Saturday.
- Chase Burns (14-3, 2.77 ERA) starts for the Reds; Shota Imanaga (8-9, 3.78 ERA) counters for the Cubs.
How can you watch Cubs vs. Reds on Sunday Night Baseball?
The series finale airs on NBC as part of Sunday Night Baseball, with local coverage on NBC Chicago. The matchup was moved from an original afternoon window for national TV, according to Yahoo Sports.
Jason Benetti leads the booth with Jeff Brantley, Ahmed Fareed and Joey Votto. Anthony Rizzo, the former Cubs first baseman and fan favorite, adds in-game analysis from the broadcast team NBC assembled for this NL Central showdown.
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Why was the Cubs vs. Reds game delayed?
Steady rain at Wrigley Field forced a weather delay before first pitch on Sunday, Aug. 30. The Cubs estimated the game would begin about 25 minutes late, targeting roughly 7:45 p.m. ET instead of the scheduled 7:20 p.m. ET start, per Yahoo Sports.
NBC 5 Chicago reported the contest would not begin before 6:45 p.m. local time as crews waited for conditions to clear. Fans tuning in for Anthony Rizzo and the NBC Sunday Night Baseball crew faced a later kickoff than planned.
What are the latest Cubs vs. Reds odds and line?
Chicago opened as the -156 favorite at Wrigley Field, meaning a $156 bet would return $100 on a Cubs win. Cincinnati sat at +140 on the money line. The total landed at 9.5 runs, reflecting a high-scoring series that already produced 10-8 and 17-5 final scores.
SportsLine's projection model, which simulates every MLB game 10,000 times and entered the week on a 49-34 run on top-rated picks, projects the Under on the total. The model also flagged one side of the money line as carrying value, though the full pick sits behind SportsLine's paywall.
Who is starting for the Cubs and Reds?
Chase Burns (14-3, 2.77 ERA) takes the mound for Cincinnati (64-72). Chicago (77-59) counters with Shota Imanaga (8-9, 3.78 ERA) in the rubber match of a pivotal NL Central series.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago's MVP candidate, smashed three home runs in Saturday's 17-5 blowout. On the Reds side, their Rookie of the Year favorite entered Sunday with 30 homers and 104 RBIs after going deep in each of the first two games, per Yahoo Sports.