The St. Louis Cardinals will begin a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds on Monday at the Great American Ballpark. It's a National League Central rivalry, as we share our MLB odds series and make a Cardinals-Reds prediction and pick.
Cardinals-Reds Projected Starters
Sonny Gray vs. Andrew Abbott
Sonny Gray (11-6) with a 3.65 ERA
Last Start: Gray was efficient in his last outing, hurling seven innings, allowing two earned runs, four hits, striking out six and walking just one in a win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
2024 Road Splits: Gray has been subpar on the road, going 4-2 with a 4.94 ERA over nine starts away from Busch Stadium.
Andrew Abbott (9-9) with a 3.70 ERA
Last Start: Abbott struggled in his last outings, allowing six earned runs and six hits, striking out seven but walking three in a loss to the Miami Marlins.
2024 Home Splits: Abbott has done slightly better at home, going 4-4 with a 3.59 ERA over 10 starts at the Great American Ballpark.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Reds Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+126)
Moneyline: -130
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-152)
Moneyline: +110
Over: 9 (+100)
Under: 9 (-122)
How to Watch Cardinals vs. Reds
Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports Ohio
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cardinals are fighting for their lives with under two months left to go in the season. Ultimately, they came into the week just two games behind the Atlanta Braves for the final wildcard spot in the NL. But they have some work to do, and that includes going through a divisional rival who is still technically alive.
Masyn Winn is a defensive wizard who is also steady at the plate. However, he has struggled against the Reds, batting just .227 with 10 hits, six RBIs, and one run over 11 games. Alec Burleson has also been another great prescience at the plate. Sadly, he has not done well against the Reds, hitting just .116 with only five hits, two RBIs, and one run over 14 games.
Nolan Gorman is another player to watch. But he, too, has struggled against them. He is batting just .187 with 14 hits, four home runs, eight RBIs, and 10 runs over 23 games against the Reds. Nolan Arenado has had a great career against the Reds. Significantly, he is hitting .340 with 112 hits, 23 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 62 runs over 95 games. But he has struggled recently against them. He is hitting just .250 with nine hits, three home runs, seven RBIs, and seven runs in 10 games.
Gray has locked down three quality starts in five 0utings. Yet, he is only 0-2 with a 3.75 ERA over two games against the Reds, so he will look to remedy that situation. When Gray exits the game, he turns it over to a bullpen that is 10th in bullpen ERA. Ryan Helsley is the best closer in baseball, representing the Cards with a record of 4-4 with a 2.66 ERA and 37 saves in 40 chances.
The Cardinals will cover the spread if the young upstarts in their lineup can batter the baseball and score some runs early. Then, they need a good outing from Gray.
Why The Reds Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Reds have underperformed based on where many of their projections were at the start of the season. Unfortunately, injuries to Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand have hindered whatever hopes they had.
Elly De La Cruz is electrifying and one of the best in baseball, even in his second season. Conversely, it has been inconsistent for him against the Cardinals, batting .234 with 15 hits, eight RBIs, nine runs, and three stolen bases.
Jonathan India must step up. Curiously, he enjoys facing the Cards, hitting .329 with 26 hits, two home runs, six RBIs, and 16 runs over 22 games against them. Spencer Steer has had some success against the Reds, batting .314 with 22 hits, two home runs, 10 RBIs, and 11 runs over 18 games. However, he is hitting just .222 with one home run, two RBIs, and three runs over the last five.
Abbott is 2-2 against the Cardinals in his career. Now, he looks to get his third win as he faces a team that is directly above his. When Abbott finishes, he will turn it over to a bullpen that is the fourth-best in baseball. Alexis Diaz is the closer of this bunch, coming in with a record of 1-3 with a 4.28 ERA and 22 saves in 24 chances.
Final Cardinals-Reds Prediction & Pick
The Cardinals are 4-3 overall against the Reds this season, but the Reds are 4-3 against the run line against St. Louis. However, the Cards also already took two of three from the Reds at the Great American Ballpark this season. The Cardinals came into Sunday with a run line record of 58-60, while the Reds were 65-52. Additionally, the Cardinals are 30-30 against the run line on the road, while the Reds are 27-32 against the run line at home. We like the Reds because of Gray's struggles on the road and Abbott's success at home.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Cardinals-Reds Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-152)
Follow Us
Subscribe