Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates April 20 Betting Preview

For the second time already this season, the Cincinnati Reds will meet up with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Central Division rivals will meet up on Thursday night to begin a four-game weekend series that should have some fireworks.

It’s been a rough start to the season for the Reds, as they have gone just 7-11 through their first 18 games. Cincinnati did take two out of three from Pittsburgh earlier this season, but those games were played at home.

Pittsburgh has been a huge surprise to begin the year, as they have won 12 of their first 19 games. The Pirates are expected to take a step back at some point, but they have been doing nearly everything well to begin the year.

The Pirates are the moneyline betting favorites in the series opener, and the odds have been set at -165 with an over/under of nine.

Bats Silent For Reds

The Cincinnati Reds just wrapped up a series in Tampa Bay, and they failed to score a run in each of the last two games. Cincinnati did have decent offensive numbers up until those two games, but this team now must find a way to get back on track.

Jason Vosler has been providing some power to the Reds this season as he leads the team with three home runs. The Reds are hitting just .239 as a team, and there are some weak spots throughout the everyday lineup.

Luke Weaver will be making his season debut on the mound on Thursday night, and the Reds are hoping he can help lead the rotation. Cincinnati has an ERA that is approaching 5.50, but playing the Rays didn’t help those numbers.

Pirates Playing Long Ball

This was supposed to be another disappointing year for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the team can’t stop hitting. Pittsburgh has belted 25 home runs through the first 19 games, and Bryan Reynolds leads the team with five.

Andrew McCutchen has made his return to Pittsburgh as well, and he is hitting an impressive .310 to begin the year. This Pirates team does appear to have some holes in the everyday lineup, but everything is working up to this point.

Roansy Contreras will be on the mound for the Pirates in this game, and he is just 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA. Pitching is still a concern for Pittsburgh, and that’s where the Reds need to take advantage.

Expect a Close Game

Despite the big difference in the overall records to begin the year, the Reds and Pirates are pretty evenly matched. The lack of offense for the Reds has been a bit concerning, but they should be able to score some runs against a bad Pirates staff.

The pitching matchup for this game looks to be pretty even, and it will be a good day for each offense. Cincinnati is getting a much easier opponent after battling with the Tampa Bay Rays, and this matchup always seems to bring out the best in the Reds.

This is a game that will be decided by just one run, and the Reds could end up getting enough breaks to pull off the upset.