Thursday's Braves vs. Reds game has a first pitch set for 1:10 PM ET from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The forecast for today's game features temperatures in the mid to upper 60s and scattered clouds.
Chris Sale will start for the Braves, and he is facing off against Julian Aguiar for the Reds. Atlanta is 82-70 and they are 3rd in the NL East, while the Reds are 4th in the NL Central with a record of 74-79. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and the Braves are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -206 compared to the Reds at +173. The Reds are 5-1 in their last six games, while the Braves have won three of their last four.
Atlanta vs. Cincinnati Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Braves at Reds
- Where: Great American Ball Park Cincinnati
- Date: Thursday, September 19th
- Betting Odds ATL -206 | CIN +173 O/U 8.5
Braves vs Reds Last Game Recap
The most recent game o of this Braves vs Reds series took place on the road for Atlanta. The Braves went into the matchup as -139 favorites and picked up a 7-1 win. Heading into the game, the Braves had won the first two games of the series.
Spencer Schwellenbach started for the Braves and picked up the win, going six innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued two walks. Jakob Junis only went six innings for the Reds but gave up just one run on two hits.
Marcell Ozuna and Michael Harris II each homered for the Braves, while Gio Urshela went 2/4 with three RBIs. Matt Olson also had a two-hit game at the plate.
Braves Preview
Atlanta's overall record as the favorite is 69-52, but against the spread, they are 54-67 in those games. The Braves have covered the run line in 72 of their 152 games this season, with an average run differential of 3.7 runs in those games. Heading into today's game, they are 2 games behind the Mets for 2nd place in the NL East and 9 games behind the Phillies for the division lead.
When the Braves are on the road, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, which is higher than their season average of 8.1 runs per game. Their overall over/under record is 57-90, and when the total is 8.5 runs, they have gone 14-26. In 45 games, the total has been set higher than 8.5 runs, accounting for 29.6% of their games, while in 67 games, the line has been lower, making up 44.1% of their games.
Chris Sale gets the start for the Braves today as he faces the Reds on the road. He has made 28 starts this season and has a record of 17-3 to go along with an ERA of 2.35. Sale's WHIP for the season is currently 1.00. In his 28 appearances, he has turned in 18 quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he allowed just one earned run in six innings of work. Sale has been especially tough at home, going 10-0 with a 2.75 ERA compared to 7-3 with a 2.42 ERA on the road.
Marcell Ozuna has been the Braves' top offensive player this season, as he is batting .306 with 38 home runs and 100 RBIs. Both of those numbers are the best on the team and rank near the top of the league. Matt Olson is also a power threat in the lineup, as he has gone deep 26 times this season, which is the 2nd best mark on the team.
As a team, the Braves are averaging 4.3 runs per game, and they have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.7 runs per contest. Over their last eight games, Michael Harris II has gone 11/36 (.306) with four homers.
Reds Preview
As underdogs, the Reds have been profitable on the run line with a 56-31 record, but they are 27-39 as favorites. Their average run differential in wins is +3.8, while in losses, it's -3.3. Cincinnati's games have averaged 8.7 runs per game this season, resulting in a 71-75 O/U record.
Heading into today's game, the Reds and Braves are tied 1-1 in their series, and Cincinnati has a 6-4 record in their last 10 games. Overall, the Reds are 74-79, placing them 4th in the NL Central, 14.5 games behind the Brewers.
Reds starter Julian Aguiar has made six starts this year and has a record of 2-0 with an ERA of 4.88. He has made two quality starts and is coming off a start in which he picked up the win. Against the Twins on September 13th, Aguiar went 6 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs, four walks, and two home runs. In his six starts, he has allowed a total of six home runs. Aguiar's ERA at home is 10.12 compared to 2.94 on the road.
Elly De La Cruz comes into the game as the Reds' leading home run hitter this season, and he also has the 2nd most RBIs on the team. He is also batting .257 this season and has gone deep three times over his past five games. TJ Friedl has also been swinging a hot bat, going 9/19 in his last five games.
Overall, the Reds are 15th in the league in scoring at 4.4 runs per contest. This season, they are batting just .233, which is 18th in the league. As a team, they are averaging 9 strikeouts per game, which is 23rd in the MLB.
Braves vs. Reds Prediction: Reds ML +173
Given the payout, we really like the Reds to pick up a win today at +173. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Reds, and with the payout, this is a great value pick.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Chris Sale is projected to finish with more strikeouts than Julian Aguiar. However, Sale is also a lot more expensive to pick up a win today, and we have Aguiar finishing with four K's.
