Braves vs. Reds Wednesday Prediction
The Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds will wrap up their series on Wednesday evening at 6:40 p.m. ET. What is the best play on the board when Matt Wisler takes on Brandon Finnegan in the pitching matchup?
Game Snapshot & Odds
955 Atlanta Braves (-115) at 956 Cincinnati Reds (-105); 9 runs
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
6:40 p.m. ET, Great American Ball Park
TV: ATL (FSSO); CIN (FSO)
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Public Betting Trends
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook YouWager currently list the Braves as a -115 favorite. As of this writing, 70% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Braves to beat the Reds on the money line. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.
Braves to give Wisler at least one more start
Making his season debut Thursday, Matt Wisler limited the Mets to one run over seven innings, striking out eight, in a win. Wisler wasn’t even publicly announced as the starter until a few hours before the game, but after seeing him work it’s hard to imagine the Braves had any better options. The right-hander dealt, mixing a low-90s fastball with a devastating breaking ball that kept the Mets hitters off balance all night. He gave up just two hits without issuing a walk in the victory.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said Friday that Wisler will make at least one more start with the major league club. Wisler made what was supposed to just be a spot start Thursday against the Mets and earned another shot by throwing seven innings of one-run ball.
Reds’ Finnegan roughed up by Cardinals last time out
Brandon Finnegan surrendered four runs in three innings during Friday’s loss to the Cardinals. He needs a new opponent. Both of his starts this year have been against the Cardinals and they have knocked him around each time. He couldn’t throw strikes in this one, walking four batters against two strikeouts in the contest.
The left-hander missed the first three weeks of the season with a biceps injury. He falls to 0-2 with an 11.05 ERA in 7 1/3 innings. Perhaps the Reds’ new interim manager Jim Riggleman will re-assign Finnegan into a new role until he proves he is ready to start again.
MLB Betting Trends
Atlanta
The Braves are 1-7 in Wisler’s last eight starts coming off five days of rest and are 1-4 in his last five outings against National League Central opponents.
Cincinnati
The Reds have won seven of Finnegan’s last eight starts coming off four days of rest and are 7-3 in his last 10 outings when facing a team with a winning record.
Prediction:
Finnegan has shown some strikeout upside but he had a 22% walk rate last season and struggles with batters from both sides of the plate. Meanwhile, in Wisler’s last full season in the majors, he finished with an ERA of 5.00 and a strikeout rate of only 17%. So you have one starter that walks too many batters and the other doesn’t have much strikeout potential pitching in a hitter-friendly park. I’ll take the over.
The Pick: Braves/Reds over 9