Cardinals vs. Reds Sunday Prediction
The St. Louis Cardinals are pitching well, hitting well and have feasted on a bad divisional opponent over the last few days. Can they sweep the lowly Cincinnati Reds on Sunday with their ace on the mound?
Game Snapshot & Odds
959 St. Louis Cardinals at 960 Cincinnati Reds; 9 runs
Sunday, April 15, 2018
1:10 p.m. ET, Great American Ballpark
TV: FSMW (STL); FSO (CIN)
Public Betting Trends
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook YouWager currently list the Cardinals as a -165 favorite. As of this writing, 71% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Cardinals to beat the Reds on the moneyline. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.
Cardinals’ Martinez coming off back-to-back gems
Carlos Martinez held the Brewers to just one run across six-plus frames in Tuesday’s 5-3 extra-innings victory. Martinez served up a solo home run to Eric Thames two batters into the game, but that’s all the Brew Crew was able to muster off the right-hander. The Cardinals’ ace did need some help from young flamethrower Jordan Hicks after he was pulled when the first two runners of the seventh reached and Hicks obliged by escaping the jam. Martinez has rebounded from his season-opening clunker with two straight fine showings (both against the Brewers).
Quotable: “It’s hard to explain how hard that is to do,” Mike Matheny said of Greg Garcia managing to stay sharp despite limited playing time and at-bats. “Wow. Great at-bats. He’s impressive, how he stays sharp and how he’s ready to go.”
Reds’ Bailey has rebounded following poor spring
Homer Bailey limited the Phillies to one run over six innings and struck out seven on Tuesday. Bailey was awful this spring, but he’s given the Reds two quality starts in three tries during the regular season. It was definitely the most impressive of the outings; he came into the night with a 5/6 K/BB ratio in 10 2/3 innings, but he had the seven strikeouts and never walked a batter in this one.
Quotable: “Homer did a spectacular job,” Bryan Price said. “That’s a big step for him.”
MLB Betting Trends
St. Louis
The Cardinals are a perfect 8-0 in their last eight games in Cincinnati and have won 10 of their last 11 games versus the Reds overall.
Cincinnati
The Reds are just 1-5 in Bailey’s last six starts versus the Cardinals.
Prediction:
I’m a little surprised that the price on the Cardinals isn’t a little more expensive but I’ll take it. The Cardinals are 4-1 in Martinez’s last five road starts against the Reds, who are just 2-6 when facing Martinez in his last eight starts against them. The Cards are feasting on this bad Reds team and I don’t see things changing today. Let’s just hope they get the game in with rain expected all day.
The Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -165