Philadelphia Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds August 17 Bet Preview

It is a getaway day for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, as they complete their series against one another in an early start from Cincinnati. 

The Phillies have been the superior side against the Reds so far, winning both of the opening two games of this series. But the Reds can still salvage a win at home in order to come away with something from this three-game set against a team nearly 20 games better than them in the standings.

August 17 Betting Odds

Despite playing on the road, the Phillies (-176) are betting favorites in this matchup. The Reds are +1.5 run underdogs on the run line. The total over/under runs in this game is set at eight.

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies had been struggling prior to arriving in Cincinnati, losing two out of three games to the New York Mets. In those three games, the Phillies had scored a total of two runs, being shut out twice by the leaders of the National League East. But this series against the Reds has been just what the doctor ordered, as the Phillies have outscored the Reds 15-7 over the last two games they have played.

In this series finale, the Phillies will send Ranger Suarez to the mound, as he looks to continue to pitch well on the road. Suarez is 6-1 on the road this season, and the Phillies have won five straight games in which he has started dating back to mid-July. Suarez is 8-5 on the season, with an ERA of 3.52, and has to like his chances of picking up yet another win away from Citizens Bank Park here.

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are in a battle with the Pittsburgh Pirates to avoid last place in the National League Central. Entering Wednesday, the Reds are a half-game ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the standings, but the Reds need to win some games in order to avoid the dubious distinction of finishing at the bottom of their division. In this game, the Reds are hoping that Nick Lodolo can pitch better than he did at the Field of Dreams last week.

Lodolo had the honor of pitching at the Field of Dreams game for the Reds, and gave up four runs in 4.2 innings of work. He took the loss, dropping to 3-4 on the season, as his ERA moved up to 4.72 for the year. Lodolo will need to get off to a better start than he did against the Cubs in that game to help the Reds pick up a win to help them stay out of the cellar in their division.

Keys to the Game

The biggest key to this game is going to be starting pitching on each side, as the winner of this contest could come down to execution on the mound. Suarez is the better of the two starters on paper, but he is by no means invincible. With the early start time in this game, the pitcher that is able to adjust the fastest from a body clock perspective could put their team in the best position to win.

Also important going into this game will be whether or not the Reds come out and showcase any pride. Every team goes out with the intention of winning every game they play, but the Reds have some added motivation in trying to avoid another last place finish. They need to seize on that motivation to avoid a sweep here.