The Athletics visit the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night dragging a six-game losing streak and one of the coldest lineups in baseball. Cincinnati opened as a home favorite and has only firmed since, sitting at -142 on the moneyline. Rhett Lowder takes the ball for the Reds against Oakland left-hander Jacob Lopez, a meeting of two back-end starters at a hitter-friendly ballpark. Our lean sides with the Reds, and the value may run deeper than the moneyline alone.
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Athletics vs. Cincinnati Reds — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio |
| When | August 5, 2026 — 6:40 PM ET |
| TV | NBC Sports California / Reds.TV |
Athletics vs. Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview
Pitching frames this one, and both arms sit near the back of their rotations. Rhett Lowder carries a 3-7 record and a 5.42 ERA, but his recent form reads better than that line. The right-hander missed time earlier this season and has looked sharper since returning. In his most recent start, on July 30 against Pittsburgh, he worked six innings and allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks. That kind of strike-throwing is the version of Lowder the Reds need.
Jacob Lopez counters for the Athletics. The left-hander is 5-4 with a 5.79 ERA and 61 strikeouts, though walks and hard contact have inflated his run totals. Neither starter projects to dominate. The edge is a matter of degree, and right now Lowder is the arm trending up.
The form gap is stark. Oakland is 45-68 and just fell 5-4 on Tuesday, a loss sealed when reliever Hogan Harris uncorked two eighth-inning wild pitches for a sixth straight defeat. Cincinnati is 54-58 and has won four of its last five, with Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart drawing the walks that scored Tuesday’s winning runs. Neither club is chasing October, so this is a home team playing its best ball against a road team in free fall.
Great American Ball Park matters too. It ranks among the more homer-friendly venues in the majors, which raises run expectation and keeps every lead in reach.
Athletics vs. Cincinnati Reds Odds
| Run Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | +1.5 (-165) | +119 | U 9.5 (-105) |
| Reds | -1.5 (+140) | -142 | O 9.5 (-115) |
Odds accurate as of August 5, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest MLB Odds – Futures – Props
Athletics vs. Cincinnati Reds — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Athletics | 32% | 68% | Reds |
See the latest MLB Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Athletics vs. Reds Prediction — Does the Home Favorite Hold Serve?
Start with the pitching, because that is where this read is anchored. Lowder is throwing strikes again, and a walk-free six-inning outing last time out is the profile you want against a lineup that is not swinging well. Oakland has rarely scored in bunches during this skid, and it just lost a game it led late. Cincinnati is getting on base and manufacturing runs at home.
The market agrees. The Reds opened around -138 and have drifted to -142, so the money has nudged toward Cincinnati, not away. That move tracks the public, which is not a sharp signal on its own, but nothing has emerged to push bettors off the home side. The bullpen edge reinforces the lean, as Emilio Pagán has been closing while Oakland’s relief corps just gave one away.
The case against is real. At -142, you are paying full freight on a team the public already loves, so there is little price value left. Oakland hung tough on Tuesday and lost by a single run. A back-end starter like Lowder can unravel in one inning, and one swing at this park flips a lead. This is a lean on the better-positioned side, not a statement of certainty.
The Pick: Cincinnati Reds Moneyline (-142)
Athletics vs. Reds Prediction — Is There a Bigger Number to Chase?
If the read on Cincinnati is right, the run line is where the price gets interesting. The Reds sit at -1.5 and pay plus-money at +140, a number bet down from +150 at the open. A cold, thinned-out Oakland lineup facing an improving Lowder invites a multi-run night, and if the Reds pull ahead early at a homer-friendly park, a two-run cushion is within reach. You get paid a premium to bet the outcome the matchup points toward.
The counter is the structural drawback of laying runs with a home favorite. When the home team leads after the visitors bat in the ninth, the game simply ends, which erases late chances to pad the margin. Roughly a quarter of MLB games are decided by one run, and Tuesday’s 5-4 final is a fresh reminder. That exact result would have lost this bet. Take the plus price if you want the upside, but respect that the one-run trap is live.
The Pick: Cincinnati Reds Run Line -1.5 (+140)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
The total is the one market we are passing, and the reason is honest conflict. Great American Ball Park pushes run expectation up, and two starters with ERAs in the mid-5.00s would normally point toward the over 9.5. However, Oakland’s lineup has gone quiet during this slide, and a bat that cannot score drags the number the other way. Those signals cancel out, so there is no clean edge.
Two things will decide the night. The first is Lowder’s leash, as a starter returning to form can tire quickly, so his pitch count is worth watching. The second is late-inning leverage, where Pagán and a settled Reds bullpen hold an edge over an Oakland group that just faltered. For the rest of the card, our today’s MLB predictions cover the full slate, and you can revisit our Athletics vs. Reds prediction from Tuesday’s meeting.
To recap: Cincinnati Reds Moneyline (-142) is the top play, with the Cincinnati Reds Run Line -1.5 (+140) as the plus-money alternative for bettors who want the bigger number. Both rest on the same read that the home club is better positioned tonight.
MLB Athletics vs. Reds FAQ: Wednesday August 5, 2026
What time does the Athletics vs. Reds game start?
First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. It is the middle game of the Athletics and Reds series, and the two clubs met the night before in the same ballpark.
What channel is the Athletics vs. Reds game on?
The game airs regionally on NBC Sports California for the Athletics and on Reds.TV for Cincinnati, with a streaming option available through Fubo. Coverage begins around first pitch at 6:40 PM ET, so check your local listings for the exact pregame window.
Who is pitching for the Reds against the Athletics?
Right-hander Rhett Lowder starts for the Reds, entering with a 3-7 record and a 5.42 ERA. Oakland counters with left-hander Jacob Lopez, who is 5-4 with a 5.79 ERA and 61 strikeouts. Both pitchers sit near the back of their respective rotations this season.
Where are the Athletics and Reds playing today?
The Athletics and Reds play at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, the home of the Reds. It is one of the more hitter-friendly parks in Major League Baseball, a factor that shapes run expectation and total prices whenever teams visit.
Who won the last meeting between the Athletics and Reds?
Cincinnati won the previous meeting 5-4 on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at Great American Ball Park. Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart drew eighth-inning walks and both scored on wild pitches, handing the Athletics a sixth straight loss in a tight, late-turning game.