St. Louis Cardinals vs
Cincinnati RedsPredictions & Preview

Cincinnati Reds Favored Over St. Louis Cardinals in First Game of Three-Game Series

The St. Louis Cardinals (65-69) will be looking to take the series lead as they visit the Great American Ball Park to face the Cincinnati Reds (68-66) in the first game of their three-game series on Friday night at 6:40 PM ET. Matthew Liberatore, with a record of 6-11 and a 4.27 ERA, will be starting for the Cardinals, while Zack Littell, 9-8 with a 3.62 ERA, will be on the mound for the Reds. St. Louis holds a 6-4 record in their last 10 games against Cincinnati. Stay tuned to see which team will come out on top in this matchup. Please note that this preview was written before Thursday's game was played.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Cardinals +109 | Reds -126
• Spread: Cardinals +1.5 (-195) | Reds -1.5 (+165)
• Total: Over/Under 9 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Cincinnati will win straight-up is 56%.

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled in their recent games, losing five out of their last seven matches, including two consecutive road games. Looking to end their losing streak, the team will aim for a win in their upcoming game on Friday. The Cardinals are currently averaging 4.36 runs per game, ranking 16th in the league, with a .248 batting average and .317 on-base percentage, also placing them at 16th. Their .383 slugging percentage is 26th in the league. Alec Burleson leads the team with a .288 batting average, while Willson Contreras leads in home runs with 19 and RBI with 73. On the defensive end, St. Louis is allowing an average of 4.63 runs per game, placing them 22nd in the league, with opponents averaging a .257 batting average against them, ranking 26th. Their 4.31 ERA is 21st, and their 1.30 WHIP is 20th in the league. In his last start, Liberatore gave up three hits and four runs in 4.1 innings, resulting in a 7-2 loss to Tampa Bay. He previously surrendered two runs in three innings against the Reds in June.

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are currently fourth in the NL Wildcard race, trailing the Mets by 4.5 games. They will be looking to narrow that gap with a win on Friday. The team averages 4.46 runs per game, ranking 15th in the league, with a .246 batting average (18th), .316 on-base percentage (17th), and .388 slugging percentage (22nd). Elly De La Cruz has been a standout performer, leading the team with a .272 batting average, 19 home runs, and 77 RBI. Defensively, the Reds are giving up 4.20 runs per game (14th), have a .235 opponent batting average (6th), a 3.84 ERA (10th), and a 1.24 WHIP (9th). In his last start, Littell struggled, giving up four hits and four runs in three innings in a losing effort to the Diamondbacks. He is winless against St. Louis with a 6.55 ERA in five games.

Cincinnati Reds Favored Over St. Louis Cardinals in upcoming home game

The Cincinnati Reds have secured victory in three out of their last five home games, while the St. Louis Cardinals have suffered defeat in three out of their last four road games. The Reds hold a competitive advantage in this matchup due to their strong hitting performance in recent home games, which will pose a significant challenge to Liberatore, who has struggled on the mound in his previous starts, conceding 10 runs. Conversely, St. Louis is unlikely to excel offensively as they have not performed well in recent road games. Littell, Cincinnati's pitcher, has demonstrated a commendable performance, particularly at home, where he has only allowed four runs in his last three starts. Considering these factors, it is recommended to wager on Cincinnati on the money line for this game.

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