Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals Series Preview, Betting Odds

This weekend features a National League Central battle of second and third place teams as the Cincinnati Reds (49-47, 2nd in the division) welcome in the St. Louis Cardinals (49-48, third in the division). The Reds will host this three-game series at the Great American Ballpark starting on Friday.

St. Louis comes into this one, having started the week winning three out of four over the Chicago Cubs. In the finale, on Thursday, they won 3-2 behind home runs from Dylan Carlson and Nolan Arenado.

Cincinnati didn’t have as much luck to start the week as they lost two of three to the New York Mets. After losing 7-0 on Wednesday, they enjoyed a day off on Thursday before their series starts with St. Louis.

Schedule

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

• Friday, July 23 - 7:10 pm ET
• Saturday, July 24 - 7:10 pm ET
• Sunday, July 25 - 1:10 pm ET

Pitching Matchup

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

• Friday: Wade LeBlanc (0-2, 4.31 ERA) vs. Tyler Mahle (7-3, 3.93 ERA)
• Saturday: Jake Woodford (2-1, 4.06 ERA) vs. Luis Castillo (3-10, 4.39 ERA)
• Sunday: Johan Oviedo (0-5, 4.81 ERA) vs. Sonny Gray (2-5, 3.65 ERA)

Looking At Odds

6.5 games back in the NL. Central, the Reds are currently +700 to win the division. Cincinnati is +6500 to win the World Series this season.

Surprisingly, even though the Cardinals are just a half-game behind the Reds, their odds to win the division are significantly worse at +1700. They are +11000 to win the World Series.

By The Number

Cincinnati comes in 10th in the majors in scoring this season as they are averaging 4.79 runs per game (5.37 at home). The Cardinals fall to 26th, averaging just 3.98 runs per game.

Defensively, it is St. Louis with the advantage. They rank 13th in scoring defense allowing opponents 4.36 runs per game. The Reds rank 25th, allowing 4.98 runs.

Cardinals Try To Find A Way To Win On The Road

At 49-48, the Cardinals sit seven games back of the Milwaukee Brewers. If they hope to get back on track, they are going to have to find a way to improve on the road. While they are 28-20 at home, they are struggling on the road at just 21-28.

After another home run on Thursday, Nolan Arenado currently leads the team in home runs (19) and runs batted in (59). He is currently hitting .258/.310/.493.

Paul Goldschmidt has also played well this season as he is hitting .269/.341/.451 with 16 home runs, 54 runs batted in, and 52 runs scored.

Reds Have To Find A Way To Win Shorthanded

The Cincinnati Reds are fighting to get into a playoff position, but they will have to do so short-handed in the near future. All-Star Nick Castellanos is currently out for the foreseeable future with a microfracture in his right wrist.

On the season, he is hitting .329/.383/.582 with 18 home runs, 59 runs batted in, and 59 runs scored.

With him out, the Reds will be led offensively by Jesse Winker. He is currently hitting .292/.370/.517 with 19 home runs, 52 runs batted in, and 61 runs scored. Eugenio Suarez has also performed well, hitting 18 home runs and 52 runs batted in despite a .172 batting average.

This Series Could Determine Future Of Team

Trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by 6.5 games, the Reds desperately need to get on a roll as the trade deadline approaches. A bad series against the Cardinals could potentially push the Reds to consider selling over buying.

Regardless, with the Cardinals hot on their tail, the Reds are hoping that the trio of Tyler Mahle, Luis Castillo, and Sonny Gray can give them the advantage they need to take down the Cardinals.