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The Philadelphia Phillies will begin a 4-game series with the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ballpark. We are in Cincinnati, sharing our MLB odds series, making a Phillies-Reds prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Phillies are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Miami Marlins at home, finishing off a series where they lost two of three to their divisional rivals. Initially, the Phillies trailed the Marlins 1-0 in the fourth inning when Brandon Marsh clipped an RBI single to right-center field to tie it. The Phillies trailed again in the fifth when Bryson Stott clapped an RBI double to deep right to put the Phillies up 2-1. Ultimately, the game remained that way until the eighth inning when Jorge Soler slammed a solo home run off Phillies' reliever Jose Alvarado to tie it up. The game went into extra innings, where Bryan De La Cruz singled to right to put the Marlins up for good. Unfortunately, the Phillies wasted a good outing by Zach Wheeler and left seven runners on the basepaths.
The Reds are coming off a 3-game series where they endured a sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. Early, it looked like the Reds might salvage this game as Tyler Stephenson clipped an RBI single to drive in two runners. The teams were tied 3-3 in the seventh when TJ Freidl singled to center to give the Reds a 4-3 lead. However, their bullpen fell apart when they blew the lead in the seventh and then in the eighth after Eddie Rosario slammed a solo home run off Buck Farmer. The Reds left six runners on base.
Bailey Falter will start for the Phillies. Ultimately, he is 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA. Falter tossed five innings against the Reds last weekend, allowing one earned run on four hits with two strikeouts. Meanwhile, Nick Lodolo will start for the Reds. Lodolo is 1-0 with a 1.50 EEA. Likewise, he tossed seven shutout innings in his last start against the Phillies last weekend, allowing three hits and striking out 12.
The Phillies went 6-1 against the Reds last season. Significantly, they continued that streak, winning two of three last weekend. But the Reds are 5-5 against the Phillies in the past 10 games at the Great American Ballpark.
Here are the Phillies-Reds MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Reds Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: +1.5 (-194)
Cincinnati Reds: -1.5 (+160)
Over: 8.5 (-122)
Under: 8.5 (+100)
How To Watch Phillies vs. Reds
TV: Bally Sports Ohio, MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB TV
Time: 6:41 PM ET/3:41 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
The Phillies are struggling to start the season. Sadly, they are not picking up where they left off last season and look far different than the team that went to the World Series last season.
Trea Turner has had a great start to the season, batting .321 (17 for 53) with three RBIs and seven runs. Conversely, he struggled against the Reds last weekend, batting .167 (2 for 12) with two runs. Kyle Schwarber is once again ‘all or nothing', as he is hitting .188 (9 for 48) with three home runs, six RBIs, and seven runs. Likewise, Schwarber also struggled against the Reds, batting .167 (2 for 12) with one RBI and one run. JT Realmuto is batting .200 (8 for 40) with one home run, three RBIs, and three runs. Also, he struggled last weekend, batting .167 (2 for 12) with one home run, two RBIs, and one run. Nick Castellanos is hitting .295 (13 for 44) with six RBIs and 11 runs. Additionally, he excelled last weekend, batting .333 (3 for 9) with one RBI and two runs.
But the pitching needs work. Specifically, the bullpen has struggled. They currently have an ERA of 6.65, ranking 28th in the majors. Can the bullpen turn things around? The Phillies will cover the spread if they can score runs early. Then, their pitching must hold up.
Why The Reds Could Cover The Spread
The Reds could not beat the Braves because of an inconsistent offense and lackluster pitching. Ultimately, they blew a lead three times in the final game, displaying their inability to handle pressure.
Jonathan India is their leadoff hitter, batting .310 (13 for 42) with one home run, three RBIs, and 12 runs. Now, he must keep the momentum going. Friedl is batting .350 (14 for 40) with two home runs, three RBIs, and seven runs. Furthermore, he did well last weekend, batting .333 (4 for 12) with three runs. Jake Fraley is hitting .333 (10 for 30) with one home run, nine RBIs, and three runs. However, he struggled last weekend, batting .143 (1 for 7) with one hit (a grand slam).
The Reds have pitching issues. Ultimately, their bullpen has an ERA of 5.26, which ranks them 22nd in the league. The Reds will cover the spread if they can build a large lead. Then, their starter must go five innings to give them a chance.
Final Phillies-Reds Prediction & Pick
Neither of these teams look impressive so far. However, the Phillies are not a great road team and they struggled against Lodolo last weekend. Take the Reds to cover.
Final Phillies-Reds Prediction & Pick: Cincinnati Reds: -1.5 (+160)
