Cardinals vs. Reds Prediction
Will the St. Louis Cardinals and starter Michael Wacha continue to have great success versus the Cincinnati Reds when the National League Central foes meet at 6:40 p.m. ET on Thursday evening?
Game Snapshot & Odds
903 St. Louis Cardinals at 904 Cincinnati Reds
Thursday, April 12, 2018
6:40 p.m. ET, Great American Ball Park
TV: FSMW (STL); FSO (CIN)
Public Betting Trends
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook YouWager currently list the Cardinals as a -150 favorite. As of this writing, 55% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Cardinals 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.
Wacha struggling with walks early in 2018
Michael Wacha walked five batters while allowing two runs over five innings of work last Saturday versus the Diamondbacks. The right-hander threw just 48 of his 89 pitches for strikes but Arizona never capitalized. A.J. Pollock and Chris Owings produced RBI singles off Wacha in the first and third innings but he was otherwise able to keep the Diamondbacks silent.
Neither of Wacha’s starts this season have been sharp. He allowed four runs to the Mets across 4 2/3 innings in his season debut.
Romano has pitched okay in the early going
In his first start of the season, Sal Romano allowed three runs over six innings in a loss to the Nationals. Despite the loss, he limited the damage, as two of the four hits he allowed were homers and he also issued four free passes in the game.
In his second outing, he took a no-decision after allowing four runs over five innings last Saturday versus the Pirates. He fell behind early for the second game in a row and surrendered all four runs over the first two innings. Romano eventually settled down as the Reds mounted a comeback versus the Pirates’ bullpen. He owns a 5.73 ERA on the year.
MLB Betting Trends
St. Louis
The Cardinals are 3-8 in Wacha’s last 11 starts versus National League Central opponents.
Cincinnati
The Reds are 4-10 in their last 14 games versus divisional rivals.
Prediction:
Wacha has owned the Reds throughout his career. The Cardinals are 11-1 in his last 12 starts versus Cincinnati overall, which includes a 4-0 mark on the road. The Cardinals have also had plenty of success versus the Reds overall, winning all five of their last five games in Cincinnati and going 4-0 in the last four meetings between these two teams overall.
The Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -150