The Cincinnati Reds are traveling west to face their division rival St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The action will get underway at 8:15 p.m. ET and Fox Sports Ohio will be televising the game.
Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals Odds
Oddsmakers have listed Cincinnati (+165) as the underdog to St. Louis (-175). The total sits at 8.5 runs and bettors can wager on either the over or the under for -110. Runline odds sit at -135 for betting the Reds +1.5 runs and +115 for the Cardinals -1.5 runs.
The Reds have gone just 3-15 SU this year and are 7-11 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 11.5 units for gamblers taking the moneyline in the season’s early going and 7.6 units ATS. Cincinnati has covered the spread only twice over its last seven games and the under has hit in five of those seven. The Cardinals, on the other hand, are 10-8 SU and 10-7 ATS. The team’s gained 1.6 units for moneyline bettors and 2.0 units ATS. St. Louis has covered the spread five times in its last seven games and the under has cashed in four of those seven.
St. Louis games have an 8-9 over/under record so far in 2018. Cincinnati has an over/under record of 7-11.
Brandon Finnegan is getting the nod for the visiting Reds. The southpaw Finnegan is 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA and four strikeouts. He’s 0-1 with four strikeouts and a 10.38 ERA against St. Louis this year.
The Cardinals are sending righty Michael Wacha (2-1, 5.52 ERA) to the mound. Wacha has 12 strikeouts and 10 walks to his name, as well as a WHIP of 1.64. Wacha is 1-0 with five strikeouts and a 5.40 ERA over one starts against Cincinnati this year.
As a unit, St. Louis’ pitching staff has allowed 3.7 runs per game overall this season. The team’s starters have an ERA of 3.55, a WHIP of 1.31 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.6. The bullpen has a 3.43 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 9.4 K/9. In 12 games against divisional opponents, Cardinals starters have an ERA of 3.11 and the bullpen’s ERA is 3.38.
The St. Louis hitters have produced 4.7 runs per contest, including 5.5 per game against divisional foes and 4.8 per game over their last five. The team’s hit .229/.333/.380 over its last five games and is 4-1 SU during that span.
The Cardinals’ batters have been led by first baseman Jose Martinez and outfielder Tommy Pham. Martinez is slashing .339/.432/.548 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and six runs scored, while Pham’s line is .317/.434/.460 with 20 hits, five RBIs, 16 runs and five stolen bases.
Martinez especially enjoyed hitting against left-handed pitchers in 2017. Across 69 plate appearances, he slashed .407/.493/.847 (his overall season line was .309/.379/.518).
In the other dugout, Cincinnati’s pitchers have allowed 5.6 runs per game and its starters own a 5.59 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 7.20 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 5.17, along with a WHIP of 1.41.
The Reds offense has slashed .220/.300/.319 on its way to 3.0 runs scored per game this season, including 2.8 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.6 per game over the team’s last five contests (1-4 SU).
Catcher Tucker Barnhart and left fielder Jesse Winker have led Cincinnati’s offense. Barnhart is slashing .277/.393/.489 with 13 hits, four RBIs and five runs scored, while Winker (.238/.407/.262) has produced 10 hits, four RBIs and three runs scored.
Compared to his total season slash line of .298/.375/.529, Winker performed well against righty pitching on the road in 2017, maintaining a slash line of .358/.414/.679 across 58 such plate appearances.
The Reds have lost 10.7 units and are 5-10 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in five of those games, as opposed to 10 that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Cardinals have netted 1.9 units and are 3-1 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in one of those games, compared to three that’ve gone under.
Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cardinals, ATS Winner – Reds, O/U – UNDER
Notes
Betting Notes
The Reds have lost 10 of their last 11 games SU.
Cincinnati has posted 17.1 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 15.4 over its last five.
The Reds have hit five home runs in their last 10 games, including three over their last five.
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