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It is an NL Central clash as the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Cincinnati Reds. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Cardinals-Reds pick, prediction, and how-to-watch.
The Cardinals have won four straight series now after taking three of four from the Dodgers. They have climbed out of the basement of the NL Central, and sit at 21-27 on the year. The Cardinals are 7-6 against division foes so far this year but have yet to face the Reds. The Reds are 19-27 overall and in last place in the NL Central. They are coming off being swept by the New York Yankees, and have lost six of their last seven games overall.
Here are the Cardinals-Reds MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Reds Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (-120)
Cincinnati Red: +1.5 (+100)
Over: 10 (-118)
Under: 10 (-104)
How To Watch Cardinals vs. Reds
TV: BSMW/BSOH
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 6:40 PM ET/ 3:40 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
The Cardinals have picked up the offense recently. They have brought their team batting average to .263, which is tied for fifth in the majors. The Cardinals are also fifth in the majors in runs scored this year and fifth in home runs this year. Nolan Arenado has helped with the run-scoring tremendously this year. He is tied for tenth in the majors with 34 RBIs this year. This month, Arenado is hitting .338 with 20 RBIs and seven home runs. Even more, Arenado has been hitting great against left-handed pitching. He has hit four home runs and nine RBIs while batting .306 against lefties this year.
Also hitting the lefties hard is Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt is hitting .333 against left-handed pitching on the year. He has cooled down a little as of late. He has just one hit in his last six games but has walked ten times in those games. On the month, he is hitting .274 with an OBP of .391. He still has three home runs and nine RBIs this month, but if he could see a few more hittable pitches, it could be a nice day for Goldschmidt.
On the mound, today for the Cardinals will be Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery is just 2-6 with a 4.21 ERA in nine starts this year. His last three starts have left something to be desired as well. He has given up 11 runs in 16.1 innings of combined work, with five home runs. He has struggled with giving up the long ball as of late, which has led to his ERA jumping up and his team losing each of those starts.
Why The Reds Could Cover The Spread
The Reds need to figure out starting pitching, and their manager needs to figure out how to keep his cool. The pitching has been a major issue in the recent Reds troubles. They have given up 41 runs in their last seven games, and that average of 5.86 runs per game is only helped by the one game in which they gave up just one run. The pitcher that started that lone victory in their last seven games was Brandon Williamson making his first start of the year. Today he will make his second start. In his first one, he went 5.2 innings, giving up two hits, one of them being a solo home run.
The victory did not see any production from Jonathan India, but he has been one of the best on the Reds at getting on base and scoring. India has an OBP of .359 this month and scored 14 runs. He has scored a run in seven of his last eight games as well. If India is getting on base, someone has to drive him home. That job has been primarily owned by Jake Fraley. Fraley is having a solid month. He has driven in 16 runs this month while hitting .340. He has also stolen three bases in the process.
The hottest bat as of late has been Spencer Steer. While he is hitting just .268 on the month, his most recent stretch of games has been solid. Steer has nine hits in his last six games while driving in three and scoring twice. The biggest issue has been how often Steer has been left on base. He has been left in scoring position four times in recent games, and the Reds need to figure out how to drive him home.
Final Cardinals-Reds Prediction & Pick
Ultimately this game will come down to a pitcher making their second start of the season. If Williamson can have a solid start, the Reds will be in a position to win. Consequently, if Williamson struggled, the Cardinals will pounce on him early. The Reds will also need to drive in more guys in scoring positions. They are continuing to struggle in that department and need to turn that around. With Montgomery on the hill, that will be difficult to do. The Cardinals get a great start from Montgomery and get the win.
Final Cardinals-Reds Prediction & Pick: Cardinals -1.5 (-120)
