Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 7/14/2018 Prediction & Odds
National League Central rivals meet again Saturday afternoon when the St. Louis Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds. Will the Reds pull off another upset?
Game Snapshot & Odds
955 Cincinnati Reds (+121) at 956 St. Louis Cardinals (-131)
Saturday, July 14, 2018
4:10 p.m. ET, Busch Stadium
TV: CIN (FSO); STL (FSMW)
Public Betting Trends
Oddsmakers from online sportsbooks currently list the Cardinals as a -131 favorite. As of this writing, 68% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Cardinals to beat the Reds on the moneyline.
Reds’ Castillo shaky in no-decision
Luis Castillo allowed three earned runs, six hits and two walks with three strikeouts over four innings in a no-decision Sunday on the road against the Cubs. Castillo struggled with his location, managing to toss just 53 of his 83 pitches for strikes. His ERA sits at 5.58 with a 1.40 WHIP and 18 homers allowed through 98 1/3 innings. While his K/9 ratio has been pretty strong, recording 94 strikeouts, he remains more of an NL-only fantasy option due to his high ERA and mediocre WHIP. He’ll look to finish the first half on a positive note next Saturday in St. Louis.
Cardinals’ Flaherty doesn’t stick around long vs. Giants
Jack Flaherty allowed three runs – two earned – and four hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings in a no-decision in San Francisco on Sunday. Flaherty certainly didn’t have it in this outing, throwing just 41 of his 69 pitches for strikes. While Paul DeJong’s booted ground ball certainly didn’t do him any favors, defense alone certainly cannot be blamed. The Cardinals are 0-4 over his past four outings and he hasn’t picked up a victory since June 11 at home against the Padres.
MLB Betting Trends
Cincinnati
The Reds are 1-4 in Castillo’s last five road starts.
St. Louis
The Cardinals are winless in their last five home games.
Prediction:
The Reds have been a much better team than the Cardinals over the past three weeks. St. Louis continues to struggle offensively and while its starting pitching has been excellent, this has been one of the most inconsistent teams in baseball. Flathery has shown flashes of being a potential top-of-the-rotation starter for the Cardinals this season but he’s struggled of late. I’ll take a flier on the Reds.
The Pick: Cincinnati Reds +125
