Vegas Play of the Day: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, April 24, 2015 | 12:59 p.m.

I’m so ice cold in the South Point-lined Play of the Day, which started with $10,000 bankrolls, that I should have switched to hockey today.

I flirted with the Wild side — Minnesota is plus-120 at Saint Louis in a first-round series tied at two games apiece — but ultimately couldn’t escape the baseball diamond.

Chicago Cubs minus-110 at Cincinnati Reds: $330 to win $300

Cubs starter Jon Lester has gotten roughed up in three outings so far this season, including lasting just four innings in giving up eight hits and three runs against the Reds two weeks ago. Three starts isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, even when one of them is against the same team.

Now is the time to buy low on Chicago’s prized free agent acquisition. The same two starters — Lester and Cincinnati’s Mike Leake — were on the mound in the first of another three-game set between the divisional rivals on April 13.

The only difference was the Cubs went off as a minus-145 favorite at Wrigley Field. There should not be a 35-cent difference because of home field, especially when the Cubs won two out of three in the previous series including the one Lester started.

Granted, the victory had little to do with Lester. The Cubs had to rally in the eighth-inning, and won 7-6 in extra innings after Lester put them in a hole.

But it showed they’re the better team, supported by the fact that they’ve both scored and surrendered fewer runs than the Reds on the season. A pick’em price with their No. 1 starter can’t be passed up.

Standings: Keefer (76-73-2, $11,087), Bern (75-66-1, $10,962), Brewer (67-80-3, $2,745)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.