The Cincinnati Reds are set to take on their divisional rival St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET and Fox Sports Ohio will televise the action.
Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals Odds
Vegas has listed St. Louis (-210) as the favorite over Cincinnati (+190). Bettors are able to wager on the games total with odds posted at +105 for over 8 runs and -125 for under 8. You can also bet on the games runline with the most recent odds coming in at Reds +1.5 runs (-115) and Cardinals -1.5 runs (-105).
The Cardinals are 11-8 SU and 10-8 ATS. The teams gained 0.6 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 0.1 units against the spread (ATS). The Reds are 3-16 SU and have gone 7-11 ATS. In total, the teams lost 11.5 units for moneyline bettors in this young season and 7.6 units ATS.
Cardinals games have an over/under record of 9-9 so far in 2018. Cincinnati has an over/under record of 7-11.
Homer Bailey will get the start for the visiting Reds. The right-handed Bailey is 0-3 with a 3.42 ERA and 16 strikeouts. He’s 0-1 with four strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA against St. Louis this year (two starts).
The Cardinals are putting the ball in the hands of righty Carlos Martinez (2-1, 1.75 ERA), who has 30 strikeouts and 14 walks to his name, as well as a 1.17 WHIP. Martinez is 1-0 with 11 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA over one starts against Cincinnati this year.
Cincinnati’s pitchers have allowed 5.5 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 5.79 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 7.16 K/9. The bullpen has managed an ERA of 4.79, along with a WHIP of 1.46 and a K/9 of 8.51.
Reds hitters have slashed .223/.301/.319 on their way to 2.9 runs scored per game in 2018, including 2.7 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.8 per game over the teams last five contests (1-4 SU).
Cincinnati’s offense has been powered by catcher Tucker Barnhart and outfielder Jesse Winker. Barnhart is hitting .275/.383/.471 with 14 hits, four RBIs and five runs scored, while Winker has a .261 average with 12 hits, four RBIs and three runs scored.
Winker thrived hitting against righties on the road in 2017, maintaining a slash line of .358/.414/.679 across 58 such plate appearances (compared to his total season line of .298/.375/.529).
In the home-team dugout, St. Louis pitchers have allowed 3.6 runs per game overall this year. Its starters have an ERA of 3.42, a WHIP of 1.30 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.3. The bullpen has a 3.45 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 9.3 K/9. In 13 games against divisional foes, Cardinals starters have an ERA of 2.96 and the bullpens ERA is 3.40.
St. Louis hitters are putting up 4.6 runs per contest, including 5.4 per game against divisional foes and 4.6 per game over their last five. The team has slashed .208/.337/.333 over its last five matchups and is 4-1 SU during that stretch.
First baseman Jose Martinez and outfielder Tommy Pham have led the Cardinals batters so far. Martinez is hitting .358/.443/.567 with three home runs, 16 RBIs and seven runs scored, while Pham’s line is .318/.444/.455 with 21 hits, five RBIs, 18 runs and five stolen bases.
Compared to his total season slash line of .309/.379/.518, Martinez seemed to take a step back when hitting right-handed pitching last year, slashing .282/.346/.427 over 237 plate appearances.
The Reds have lost 10.7 units and are 5-10 ATS when facing a righty starter this season. The over has hit in five of those games, compared to 10 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Cardinals have lost 0.3 units and are 7-6 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over’s hit in seven of those games, compared to six that went under the total.
Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Cardinals, ATS Winner – Reds, O/U – UNDER
Betting Trends
- The over has hit in three of St. Louis last seven games.
- The Reds have lost 11 of their last 12 games SU while the Cardinals have won six of their last seven SU.
- Cincinnati has recorded 16.4 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 games and 16.4 over its last five.
- The Reds have hit four home runs in their last 10 games. The Cardinals have hit 12 over their last 10.
