Reds vs. Cardinals Pick
The Cincinnati Reds and the host St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game series Tuesday night at 8:15PM EST.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Cardinals are listed as a -170 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Reds are a +145 underdog and the over-under is 8.5.
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Robert Stephenson (4-4, 5.15 ERA) will start for Cincinnati, while St. Louis turns to Lance Lynn (10-7, 2.94). Stephenson carries a 1.69 WHIP with 69 strikeouts over 64 2/3 innings. He allowed one earned run on four hits with seven strikeouts and five walks over six innings in a 9-3 win over the Brewers his last start. Stephenson has a 6.35 ERA in 28 1/3 road innings. Lynn has a 1.16 WHIP and 139 strikeouts in 171 2/3 innings. He surrendered one earned run on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks in six innings during a 3-0 loss at the Padres his last outing. St. Louis has lost five of his starts in a row, although he allowed more than two earned runs in only one of them. Lynn has a 2.87 ERA in 13 home starts.
Cincinnati enters with a 62-82 record and is 26-46 on the road, while St. Louis is 75-68 and 40-31 at home. The Reds have won six of the last 10 meetings and the total has gone over six times.
This past weekend, Cincinnati avoided a four-game sweep at the Mets by winning 10-5 on Sunday. Zach Cozart was 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and four RBIs to key the offense. Jose Peraza went 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs. Eugenio Suarez finished 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs. Scott Schebler was 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs. Tucker Barnhart was 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk and five RBIs. Jackson Stephens earned the win in relief, while Raisel Iglesias earned his 26th save. The Cardinals completed a three-game home sweep over the Pirates with a 7-0 victory Sunday and have now won nine of their last 11 games. Michael Wacha threw eight shutout innings for the win, giving up five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Yadier Molina was 2-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs. Kolton Wong went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Paul DeJong finished the day 2-for-4.
Stephenson still walks too many batters, but he has pitched with a ton of confidence over the last month-plus and has seen his ERA plummet. Meanwhile, Lynn is one of the more consistent pitchers in baseball. With two rested bullpens and being in a pitcher’s park, this game should stay low-scoring.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: REDS/CARDINALS UNDER 8.5