Reds vs Cardinals Prediction and Spreads
Newly acquired Tommy Pham is only hitting .158 for the Reds while veteran Joey Votto is hitting .133. What can the Reds do to improve their early hitting struggles? Sportsmemo MLB analyst Eric Pauly offers his Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals preview for Friday, April 22.
Friday, April 22 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
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Moneyline: | Cincinnati Reds (+110) vs St. Louis Cardinals (-120) |
Runline: | Reds +1.5 (-155) / Cardinals -1.5 (+135) |
Total: | 8.5 Runs (Over -110 / Under -110) |
Game Time: | 6:40pm ET / 3:40pm PT |
Where: | Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH |
Weather: | 70 Degrees / Clear |
Reds vs Cardinals Analysis
On Friday night, the St. Louis Cardinals head to Cincinnati to take on the Reds to start a three-game series. The Reds have the worst record in baseball and are on a nine-game losing streak.
The Cardinals are coming off a loss, but they won their last series against the Marlins. Steven Matz will take the bump for the Cardinals and rookie phenom Hunter Greene will get the start for the Reds.
The Cardinals are road favorites and the moneyline is -120, the run line is -1.5, and the total is set at 8.5 runs.
Reds Need to Snap Losing Streak
After starting the season 2-2, the Reds have lost nine straight and have fallen to 2-11, the worst record in baseball. Cincinnati is abysmal on offense and on the pitcher’s mound.
As a team, their batting average is .177, their slugging percentage is a measly .277, and they have only scored 37 runs through 11 games. Reds pitchers are allowing a 5.92 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP.
Hunter Greene will take the hill for the Reds and he may be the only bright spot for this organization this season.
Greene has a flamethrower for a right arm and is just 22 years old. On the season, Greene has thrown 10.1 innings and allowed six runs on nine hits with three home runs. Greene also has 13 strikeouts in those innings.
Cardinals Finish Up Road Trip
St. Louis is 7-4 to start the season and they are coming off a series win vs the Marlins. All three games of this series vs the Reds are in Cincinnati, which will mark the Cardinals’ 7th straight road game. St. Louis, as a team, is batting .235, but their slugging percentage is .389.
Steven Matz will take the hill for the Cardinals tonight. Matz has struggled in his first start of the 2022 MLB season, but his previous start was much better.
Over 8.1 innings pitched, Matz has allowed seven runs on 12 hits with 11 strikeouts. All seven runs allowed came in his first start when he only pitched 3 innings.
Reds vs Cardinals Prediction
The Cardinals are not a great team, and Matz is not a great pitcher, but the line being only -120 shocks me. Hunter Greene is great, but he’s still young, and the rest of the Reds inspire no confidence.
My recommendation for this game is the Cardinals on the moneyline. Matz can shut down this weak offense and the Reds bullpen won’t be able to contain the Cardinals lineup.
Prediction and Best Bet: St. Louis Cardinals Moneyline (-120)
Interested in placing a bet on Friday’s Reds vs Cardinals clash? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
First Pitch | MLB Betting Preview for April 22
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. The Mets look to continue their hot start to the season as the first team to double digit wins with a trip to Arizona to take on the Diamondbacks. Can they continue their hot streak? Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.
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WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Tuesday’s baseball games, including this Reds vs Cardinals showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Eric Pauly, @slimeaction on Twitter, graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in Finance. Eric is a die-hard Washington Commanders and New York Knicks fan and enjoys watching and writing about the NFL, NBA and MLB. His favorite gambling movements include hitting a +1000 future on Washington to win the NFC East in 2020 and predicting Jonathan Taylor’s breakout season with a +900 ticket for him to win the 2021 NFL rushing title. Aside from the sports betting industry, Eric also enjoys good eats, dynasty fantasy football leagues, daily fantasy sports and playing the guitar.
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