The Cincinnati Reds (38-43) travel to face off against the St. Louis Cardinals (41-39) on Friday, June 28th. This game will be played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and televised on MLBN. The Reds are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cardinals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Reds. First pitch is set for 7:15 CT.
Reds vs Cardinals
Cincinnati cruised to an easy 11-4 win over the Cardinals in the most recent game of this series. The Reds had a huge 3rd inning, scoring nine of their eleven runs. As for the Cardinals, they scored their only four runs in the 5th. Heading into the game, the Reds were at +124 on the money line.
Andrew Abbott only went five innings for the Reds but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued six walks. On the other side, Miles Mikolas was tagged for nine runs in just 4 1/3 innings of work for the Cardinals.
Nolan Arenado did hit a home run for the Cardinals, going 1/3 with two RBIs. Dylan Carlson also had two hits and drove in a run. Cincinnati’s offense was led by Spencer Steer, who homered and went 2/5 with two RBIs.
Cincinnati is 38-43 overall and trails the Brewers by 10 games in the NL Central. The Reds are 11-12 against other teams in the division and are currently in 4th place in the division. So far, they have gone 20-23 at home and 18-20 on the road.
So far, the Reds have been the favorite in 36 of their games, going 20-16 in those contests. As the underdog, Cincinnati is just 18-27 this season. The Reds have dropped four straight series and are 8-16-2 in series this year.
The Reds have been a solid bet against the run line on the road this season, going 25-13. They have covered the run line in their last two road games and in four straight as the underdog. Cincinnati’s average run margin in winning games is +3.7, compared to -2.9 in losses.
The Cincinnati Reds are on the road today against the St. Louis Cardinals, and the over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs. The combined run average in Reds games this season is also 8.5 runs, and their over/under record for the season is 35-43. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, the Reds have a record of 6-6 in those games. Overall, 51.9% of their games this season have had over/under lines set higher than 8.5 runs.
Frankie Montas Gets The Start For The Reds
Cincinnati is sending Frankie Montas to the mound today vs. the Cardinals, and he comes in with a record of 3-5 and an ERA of 4.48. So far, he has made 14 starts and five of them have been quality starts. Montas’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.36. In his last outing, Montas finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight starts. Montas’ ERA at home is 5.92, compared to 7.1 on the road.
Reds Offense Breakdown
Elly De La Cruz has been on fire for the Reds over his last six games, going 13/28 with two homers and five RBIs. For the season, he is batting .255 with 14 homers, which is 11th in the league. His 36 RBIs are also 3rd on the team. Spencer Steer has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/25 with two homers and eight RBIs in his last six games.
As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 16th in the league. They are also just 19th in team batting average at .230. However, they do have three players with at least 14 homers. Overall, they are 13th in homers but are just 17th in slugging percentage.
St. Louis is 41-39 overall, putting them 2nd in the NL Central. Currently, they trail the Brewers by 6.5 games. So far, they are just 9-10 in divisional matchups. The Cardinals have dropped the first game of this series vs. the Reds.
At home, the Cardinals are 22-17 this year compared to 19-22 on the road. As the favorite, St. Louis has gone 20-18 and 21-21 as the underdog. They have won two straight series and have an overall series record of 14-11-1 this year. Over their last ten games, the Cardinals are 6-4.
When betting the run line with the Cardinals, it’s best to take them as the underdog, as they are 26-16 against the run line in those games. They are also 23-16 against the run line at home, and their average run differential in losses is -3.5 runs per game.
When the St. Louis Cardinals are at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, which is exactly their combined run average this season. Overall, the over/under record for Cardinals games this year is 35-42, and their games have averaged eight runs per game. When the line is set at 8.5 runs, the over/under record is 15-10, and 21.2% of their games have had an over/under line set at 8.5 runs.
Andre Pallante Gets The Start For The Cardinals
Cardinals starter Andre Pallante will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win vs. the Giants. In that June 20th start, he went 5 1/3 innings, giving up five earned runs, and he had three homers in that outing. Overall, Pallante has made five starts and 14 appearances. His ERA for the season is 5.24, along with a record of 3-3. Opposing batters are hitting .273 off the right-hander this season. One of his five starts was a quality start. Per nine innings, Pallante has 7.16 strikeouts and 4.13 walks.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Cardinals offense is averaging just 4 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per game. As a team, the Cardinals are batting .239, which is 14th in the league, and their team on-base percentage of .306 is also below the league average.
Over the team’s last nine games, Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson have been two of the team’s hottest hitters, with Donovan going 15/35 and Burleson going 13/35. Both players have three homers during this stretch. For the season, Burleson is batting .285 with 12 homers, and Nolan Gorman is hitting just .191 but leads the team with 16 homers.
Reds vs Cardinals Prediction
Looking at today’s Reds vs. Cardinals matchup, we see the Cardinals coming away with a 6-5 win. Given that they are at -127 on the money line, this is the bet we recommend taking for this game.
Offensively, we have the Cardinals finishing with nine hits compared to the Reds with eight. However, the Reds are projected to finish with more strikeouts, and the Cardinals are actually projected to finish with fewer home runs.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 28, 2024 Cardinals, Reds