Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates May 12 Series Betting Preview

The Cincinnati Reds will go back on the road to face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. to start off their four-game weekend series. 

I can’t believe I am saying this, but the Cincinnati Reds are coming off of their second straight series win. Their first series win came against the Pirates at home which is not unfathomable, but the more surprising series win was their most recent against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Reds took two out of three in that series including a 14-11 series finale win on Wednesday afternoon which improved their record to 7-24. The Pirates also found success in their past series after losing two out of three in Cincinnati. They went on to sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers to bring them to 13-17 on the season.

Reds vs. Pirates Odds

Despite their recent performances, the Reds (+110 ML) are actually underdogs against the Pirates on Thursday,

With the way they are playing, they deserve to be favored. The question is: Will their offensive production last? The Pirates have been able to string together six more wins than the Reds, but they are two very similar teams.

This will be a very evenly matched series that may come down to which pitching can pitch the least worse. Click here to start betting on the Reds for free in Ohio now.

Expected Pitching Matchup

Connor Overton is expected to get the start for the Reds. He has played in two games for the Reds and has done better than any of their other pitchers. Although he is still 0-0 on the season with two no decisions, he is posting a 2.53 ERA and seven strikeouts. His last game against Pittsburgh, he gave up two runs on six hits and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.

JT Brubaker is expected to take the mound for the Pirates. He is 0-2 in his six games pitched for Pittsburgh with a 5.68 ERA and 30 strikeouts. In his last outing against the Reds, he went five innings, giving up two runs on three hits and struck out nine Reds’ batters.

NL Central Standings Overview

Although the Reds took down the Brewers in two out of three games this week, they still hold the first position in the NL Central by 2.5 games. The St Louis Cardinals are in second with a considerable 3.5 game advantage on the third place Pirates. The Chicago Cubs, at 10-19 find themselves in fourth and the hometown Cincinnati Reds are in last place by four games.

Expected Outcome

This will be a tough one to call because I think that the Reds are in good form right now, but they will be playing in Pittsburgh for this series. It will be a split series, going 2-2, but the Pirates could sneak a third if they take advantage of their home turf.