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Opening Day at Chavez Ravine is among us! The Los Angeles Dodgers square off with the Cincinnati Reds on the diamond in a thrilling National League matchup. Time to check out our MLB odds series, where our Reds-Dodgers prediction and pick will be made.
The Dodgers will put RHP Walker Buehler on the bump after he recorded his first win of the season on Opening Day in Denver. Buehler was masterful like he usually is, as the Dodger ace got off to a great start with his five strikeouts season debut.
Sitting at 2-4, the Reds will send out RHP Luis Cessa, who will be making his first start since being a member of the Yankees back in 2018.
Here are the Reds-Dodgers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Reds-Dodgers Odds
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (+106)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-128)
Over: 8.5 (-122)
Under: 8.5 (+100)
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Why the Reds Could Cover the Spread
Entering 2021, the Reds might've possessed the highest expectations heading into last season. Those hopes were quickly dashed after a mediocre 83-79 campaign that saw them fall short of postseason play. Even worse, Reds President Phil Castellini addressed frustrated Reds fans over the last week, stating that maybe the team would win more games if they moved to a different market. After quickly apologizing to the fan base over those comments, the Reds would love to move on from that distraction by playing a winning brand of baseball.
A possible big reason for the Reds' struggles in 2022 thus far could be Joey Votto's rare slump at the plate, as the heart and soul of the Cinci roster for more than a decade is only hitting .143 with a .423 OPS in six games. While still very early into the season, the Reds would love for Votto to break out sooner than later. Cincinnati's best hitters have come in the form of former Dodger Kyle Farmer, whose scorching hot start has been supplied with six hits in six games. Additionally, Tyler Naquin has been a pleasant surprise with the stick in his hand, as the right-fielder is slashing a very productive .389 to begin the year.
Plus, Reds hitting punished Walker Buehler in 2021, generating eight runs off of him in 12.1 innings pitched, so expect Cincinnati to not be intimidated by what the Dodgers throw their way.
The major question mark in this Thursday night face-off will be Luis Cessa, who has really only appeared in relief situations over the past few seasons. The odds are certainly stacked against the Mexican native, with a lethal Dodgers lineup lurking in the shadows ready to inflict harm on Reds' pitching. Cincinnati would love a quality start out of Cessa, as that should give the Reds a huge boost in covering the spread.
Consider it easier said than done, as the Reds need to bring their A-game in every facet, especially in front of a raucous Opening Day crowd.
Why the Dodgers Could Cover the Spread
After being the talk of the sports world on Wednesday, the Dodgers enter this matchup after starting out on the road in their first five games, going 3-2 over that stretch. LA received a historic performance by future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in Clayton Kershaw, who pitched seven perfect innings while racking 13 punchouts, as the Dodgers managed to finish with a combined one-hitter after downing the Twins by a score of 7-0. With much discussion over whether Kershaw should've remained in the game or not with a possible perfect game on the line, the fact of the matter is that the Dodgers looked like the best team in baseball on Wednesday.
Whenever the Dodgers are hitting and pitching to perfection, they are extremely hard to be bested. This will no doubt be LA's recipe for success on Thursday night, as the Dodgers played their best games of the season thus far in outscoring the Twins 14-2 in Minnesota.
Now the big dog among the Los Angeles pitching staff, Buehler enters 2022 after finishing fourth in the NL Cy Young race. Buehler was electric a year ago, as the 27-year-old was especially dominant at Dodger Stadium with an 11-2 record along with a 2.05 ERA in 19 home starts.
Have we mentioned how legit this Dodgers lineup is yet? It is almost unfair what opposing managers and clubs must go against on a nightly basis when squaring off with LA, as the Dodgers are even more dangerous with the addition of the designated hitter in the National League. On paper, the Dodgers are clearly the better bunch and could cover the spread by jumping on the Reds early, making it near impossible for Cincinnati to make it a close contest.
Final Reds-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
No offense to the Reds, but this may be the easiest pick by far on the day. The Dodgers should overwhelm Cinci early and often and will leave the Reds wanting to head back to the hotel by the halfway point.
Los Angeles wins this matchup rather easily, as they are simply too much to bear for a lesser Reds roster.
Final Reds-Dodgers Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (-128)
