Cincinnati Reds Home Opener Betting Preview: Guardians vs. Reds

The Cincinnati Reds will host the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday at 4:10 pm EST for the Battle of Ohio in the Reds' home season opener.

This series between the two Ohio MLB teams dates back to 1989 and has expanded into the NFL, as well, between the Bengals and the Browns in recent years.

The Guardians had their season finale Monday against the Kansas City Royals but currently are tied for second in the AL Central with a record of 2-2. The Reds split their series with the Braves and find themselves in third in the NL Central, a half a game back from the Cardinals and the Cubs.

Let's take a look at this intrastate battle in the Ohio Cup between the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians.

Odds

The Guardians are 1.5 run favorites against the Reds in this Tuesday afternoon matchup at +150. The Reds, at +1.5, have odds of +120.

The over/under for total runs scored in the game is 8, with odds of -115 and -105 to bet the over and under, respectively. Both teams have odds of -110 to win the game straight up.

Expected Pitching Matchup

It is expected that ace Shane Bieber (0-0) from the Guardians will be taking on Reds' right-hander Tyler Mahle (1-0). Bieber was handed a "No Decision" in his 4.2 inning effort against the Royals on Opening Day. He gave up three hits and one run while striking out four in the contest.

Mahle pitched five innings on the Reds' Opening Day against the Braves and was awarded the win. He had a great outing giving up three hits, zero runs, and striking out seven batters. This should be a good matchup between these teams' two top starters.

Key Players to Watch

The Reds have gotten off to a relatively hot start on the offensive side of the ball. That is in part thanks to shortstop Kyle Farmer who is batting .357 with 4 RBIs after the first four games.

With the amount of players who were traded or let go from last year's team, the Reds will need players like Farmer to step up into a bigger role to fill those gaps of the players who left.

Center Fielder Steven Kwan has given the Guardians a much-needed spark as he is batting .692 with nine hits in six trips to the plate. He has added two doubles, a triple, and three runs batted in. He has also walked five times in four games.

Besides the huge signing of Jose Ramirez, the Guardians are in a similar spot to the Reds, losing some of their key players from last season.

Expected Outcome

I expect the Reds to get it done against their home crowd in a close one at Great American Ballpark. I think this game will be decided by one run and will be a fight of a series for both teams looking to outdo expectations.