Cincinnati Reds vs. San Diego Padres Preview, Predictions, Betting Odds

This weekend features one of the hottest teams in the National League versus one of the coldest as the Cincinnati Reds (35-31) take on the San Diego Padres (38-32). The Padres will host the four-game series at Petco Park starting on Thursday.

The Reds have been on quite a streak going 8-2 in their last ten games. After a big series sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers to start the week, the Reds now sit just two games behind both Milwaukee and the Chicago Cubs.

For as hot as the Reds have been, the Padres have been equally as cold. They are 2-8 in their last ten games, including being swept by the lowly Colorado Rockies to start this week.

Schedule

The Schedule for the three-game series at the Great American Ballpark is as follows:

• Thursday, June 17 – 8:40 pm ET
• Friday, June 18 – 10:10 pm ET
• Saturday, June 19 – 7:15 pm ET
• Sunday, June 20 - 4:10 pm ET

Pitching Matchup

Here is the pitching matchup for each game of the series:

• Thursday: Wade Miley (6-4, 2.92 ERA) vs. Joe Musgrove (4-6, 2.50 ERA)
• Friday: Tony Santillan (0-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. Chris Paddack (3-5, 4.14 ERA)
• Saturday: Vladimir Gutierrez (3-1, 2.74 ERA) vs. Dinelson Lamet (1-2, 3.33 ERA)
• Sunday: Luis Castillo (2-9, 5.83 ERA) vs. Yu Darvish (6-2, 2.57 ERA)

Looking At Odds

With their recent hot streak, the Cincinnati Reds have improved their odds of winning the N.L Central to +950. The Padres are currently +240 to win the N.L West.

In terms of winning the World Series, the Padres have the better odds to do so at +750 (third-best in all of baseball). The Reds are currently +7000 to win the World Series.

By The Numbers

Offensively, the Reds continue to be one of the best teams in baseball in terms of scoring. They rank third overall averaging 5.09 runs per game. The Padres rank 14th, averaging 4.39 runs.

Defensively, it is San Diego with a huge advantage. They rank third in scoring defense allowing opponents an average of just 3.49 runs per game. The Reds fall to 26th, allowing 5.11 runs per game.

Reds Look To Stay Hot

While Cincinnati has been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the last couple of weeks, they have been solid on the road all season. While they are just 16-16 at home, they are 19-15 on the road this season. They will look for some more road success as they travel out West to San Diego.

Leading the way offensively for the Reds are outfielders Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos. Winker is currently hitting .343/.419/.626 with 17 home runs, 41 runs batted in, and 49 runs scored. Castellanos is also hitting well at .350/.403/.610 with 13 home runs, 37 runs batted in, and 46 runs scored.

Helping the Reds surge is a rejuvenated Joey Votto. Since returning from injury, he is hitting .296/.367/.630 with three home runs and 11 runs batted in over the last seven games.

Padres Need To Play Better In A Hurry

After being one of the best teams in baseball for most of the early part of the season, the Padres have really faltered as of late. Their 2-8 record over the last ten has dropped them to third in the N.L West, 5.5 games behind the Giants. If they hope to get back in the divisional race, they need to turn it around quickly.

While they have struggled lately, it can’t be blamed on star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. After homering again in Wednesday’s loss; he now has the second-most home runs in the majors with 21. On the year, he is hitting .277/.352/.665 with 21 home runs, 48 runs batted in, 47 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases in just 191 at-bats.

Unfortunately for Padres fans, he is the only player on the team with double-digit home runs. While they have not been atrocious, the Padres hope to get more out of Manny Machado (.242 avg, nine home runs), Wil Myers (.243 avg, six home runs), and Eric Hosmer (.253 avg, five home runs).

Reds Look To Take Advantage Of Struggling Padres

For as good as San Diego can be, the Reds may be catching them at the perfect time. The Reds are extremely hot, while the Padres are anything but.

It is worth noting that San Diego has been much better at home (21-14) than on the road (17-18). Still, if the Reds can keep their momentum going from the last couple of weeks, this could be another big series win for Cincinnati.