A NL Central rivalry ends again today for the last game before the All-Star break as the St. Louis Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds. This will be the end of a three-game series where the Cardinals won the first two games Can they pull off a sweep to wrap up the first half of the season? It’s time to continue our MLB odds series with a Reds-Cardinals prediction and pick.

Here are the Reds-Cardinals MLB Odds, Courtesy of FanDuel

MLB Odds: Reds-Cardinals Odds

Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-138) (+144 ML)

St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+115) (-172 ML)

Over: 8.5 (-118)

Under: 8.5 (-104)

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Why The Reds Can Cover The Spread/Win

The Reds have been a tricky team this season. On paper last year, they were looking ready to potentially win the NL Central, but they traded away all of their top players and are now feeding on the bottom of the division, tied in last with the Cubs. The Reds are 34-57 overall and still 15.5 games behind the Brewers. They came into this series with series wins over the Yankees and Rays, but can't find their stride against the Cardinals so far. After a slow start to the season, the Reds have improved at the plate, scoring 4.3 runs per game, but the pitching remains a struggle bus as they show an MLB-worst 5.25 combined ERA. With that, starting on the bump today for the Reds will be rookie Graham Ashcraft, making his 11th career start. He comes into this game with a 4-2 record with a 4.45 ERA. He'll look to spoil the sweep against the Cardinals tonight.

Why The Cardinals Can Cover The Spread/Win

The Cardinals are slowly starting to creep up the ladder of the NL Central, proving that they want that top spot. They're currently 50-44 on the season so far and just 1.0 games behind the Brewers for the top spot. They'll look to get another win today and sweep the Reds, asserting their stake in the division. The Cardinals are scoring 4.52 runs per game, but their pitching is ranked in the top 10 of the MLB with a combined 3.58 ERA. On the bump today will be veteran Steven Matz, who is returning from a long IL stint. He's been held out of the game since late May, but he is still 3-3 with a 6.03 ERA. He'll look to come back strong and get the job done today.

Final Reds-Cardinals Prediction & Pick

This is one of those tricky games where anything can happen. The Reds are in last place for the division, but they're a sneaky good team when they want to be. Going up against a pitcher who is making his first start back from injury, they could take advantage. On the other hand, the Cardinals are just one game out of being in first place in the NL Central so I'm sure they want to take advantage and take over that top spot before heading into the All-Star break. With that said, give me the Reds run-line here. I just have a feeling that they'll put up some decent scoring, and the price isn't too crazy, could definitely be worse.

Final Reds-Cardinals Prediction and Pick: Reds +1.5 (-138)