Thursday's interleague matchup between the Astros and Reds is set to get started at 1:10 PM ET from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The Reds are currently on a three-game winning streak and are 67-73 overall, while the Astros have dropped two straight and are 75-64.
MLB Network is televising today's Astros vs. Reds game, and the Astros are favored on the money line, with the odds sitting at -152 compared to the Reds at +129. Thursday's over/under line is at 9 runs, and the forecast in Cincinnati calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 60s.
Houston vs. Cincinnati Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Astros at Reds
- Where: Great American Ball Park Cincinnati
- Date: Thursday, September 5th
- Betting Odds HOU -152 | CIN +129 O/U 9
Astros vs Reds Last Game Recap
Cincinnati cruised to a 12-5 win over the Astros in the most recent game of this series. The Reds had a huge 1st inning, scoring nine of their twelve runs. As for the Astros, they scored their only five runs in the 6th. Heading into the game, the Reds were the slight underdogs at +125.
Nick Martinez got the win for the Reds, going just 5 2/3 innings and giving up one run. Spencer Arrighetti had a rough outing for the Astros, taking the loss after going just two-thirds of an inning and giving up nine runs.
Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz, and Ty France each homered for the Reds. India, Tyler Stephenson, and TJ Friedl each had two hits and three RBIs while scoring two runs.
Astros Preview
As the favorite, the Astros are 57-45 this season and have a 21-18 record in divisional games. Their overall series record this year is 24-18-2, and they currently lead the AL West by 5.5 games over the Mariners.
On the road, the Astros have a 39-32 record against the run line with an average run margin of +0.2 runs per game. Their over/under record for games with a total of 9 runs is 12-8-2, and the O/U record for the season is 55-79.
Hunter Brown gets the start for the Astros today as he faces the Reds on the road. He has made 26 starts this season and has a record of 11-7 with an ERA of 3.55. Brown's WHIP for the season is 1.29, and opponents are batting .234 off the right-hander this year. In his 26 starts, Brown has turned in 16 quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Brown finished with a no-decision, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits. He did give up two homers in that outing. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
Yordan Alvarez has been on fire of late for the Astros, going 13/34 with five homers over his last nine games. For the season, he is batting .311, which is the best mark on the team, and his 30 homers are 11th in the league. Alvarez's 73 RBIs are the 2nd most on the team, behind Yainer Diaz, who has 78 RBIs and is batting .298.
As a team, the Astros are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They are also one of the top-hitting teams in the league, with a team batting average of .260. Houston is also near the top of the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.
Reds Preview
As underdogs, the Reds have covered the run line in seven straight games and have an impressive 48-26 record. They have a 75-65 overall run line record, and their games have averaged 8.9 runs per game. Cincinnati's over/under record is 66-67 for the season.
Cincinnati has won three straight games and is 14 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. Their series record is 16-25-3, and they have lost three straight series. The Reds' straight-up home record is 35-39, compared to 32-34 on the road.
Rhett Lowder is getting the start for the Reds at home against the Astros. Lowder is looking to bounce back from a loss in his first start of the season, where he went 4 innings and gave up just 1 earned run.
Elly De La Cruz has been the Reds' most consistent hitter this season, batting .265 with a team-leading 22 home runs. His 63 RBIs are also 2nd on the team. Spencer Steer has 86 RBIs, which is 12th in the league, and is batting .234 with 19 homers. Steer has gone 11/26 in his last seven games. Jeimer Candelario is 2nd on the team with 20 homers but is batting just .225.
Jonathan India has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/21 in his last six games with two homers and five RBIs. Amed Rosario, TJ Friedl, and Jonathan India all come into the game on four-game hitting streaks.
Astros vs. Reds Prediction: Reds ML +129
Looking at the money line, we see the Reds at +129 as a great value pick. We actually have the Reds winning this one 6-5, giving you a chance to pick up a nice payout.
For the Astros, we have them finishing with the 12th most runs in the league today. As for the Reds, they are actually our top team in terms of projected runs, and they are also projected to finish with the most hits in the league today.
