The Cincinnati Reds will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Reds-Dodgers prediction and pick.
Cincinnati has gotten off to a less-than-ideal start. The Reds dropped their opening series against the Atlanta Braves and then quickly proceeded to lose two in a row to the Cleveland Guardians. They were also absolutely shelled by Los Angeles on Thursday night, losing the contest by a score of 9-3. Cincinnati needs to turn things around here, but it won't be easy. The Dodgers are off to a fast start, winning four of their first six contests. Manager Dave Roberts will look to keep his team rolling in Dodger Stadium in this one.
Here are the Reds-Dodgers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Reds-Dodgers Odds
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (+102)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-122)
Over: 9 (-106)
Under: 9 (-114)
*Watch MLB Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why The Reds Could Cover The Spread
The Reds are lucky to avoid one of the better Los Angeles pitchers in this matchup. They'll face Tony Gonsolin, which means that the Dodgers' bullpen will handle a majority of the pitching here. The bullpen has been good for the Dodgers so far, but asking relievers to handle seven or eight innings of work is always a tough thing to do. The Reds should capitalize on the fact that they're facing a string of relievers here, some of which should be tired because of the heavy workload they've taken on this year.
The Dodgers will likely win this game, but earning a cover is a different story. While Los Angeles is on a three-game winning streak, they did lose two games in a row to the Colorado Rockies recently. The Rockies are far worse than the Reds are, and the Dodgers actually lost the series against them. There's a very good chance that Cincinnati can just hang around against the LA bullpen, and that could be enough to earn them the cover.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Los Angeles has pretty much every single advantage in this matchup, particularly at the plate. The Dodgers have been red-hot with the bat lately, scoring seven or more runs in each of their last three games. Their numbers over the course of the season are also fantastic, as they've earned a .271 batting average and a .340 OBP. Both of those numbers rank among the top teams in the MLB. It helps that they'll be facing Vladimir Gutierrez, a starter who hasn't had much success in the majors.
Gutierrez was rocked for a 4.74 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP over the course of the 2021 season, and his first start of 2022 wasn't much better. He allowed six hits and two runs over four innings to the Atlanta Braves, earning himself the loss on the day. The Dodgers should feel very comfortable with this matchup.
There's a chance that the Reds are not fully healthy for this matchup. Shortstop Jonathan India will likely sit this one out with a hamstring injury, while outfielder Tommy Pham is questionable because of a hand injury. India is one of the better hitters on the Reds, while Pham provides a strong defensive presence in the outfield. If those guys can't take the field, the Dodgers gain an even larger advantage.
Final Reds-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
The Dodgers are the only good pick on the board here. They've been rolling lately, and that won't stop against a mediocre Reds lineup that has a bad pitcher on the mound.
Final Reds-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-122)
Follow Us
Subscribe
