Thursday's interleague matchup between the Athletics and Reds gets started at 5:10 PM ET from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH. The Reds are the slight favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -134, while the Athletics are at +114. The over/under line is currently at 10 runs.
Julian Aguiar will be starting for the Reds, while the Athletics are sending J.T. Ginn to the mound. Oakland is currently on a three-game winning streak, and they have an overall record of 58-75, while the Reds are 63-70 and are 4th in the NL Central. BSOH is carrying this one on TV.
Oakland vs. Cincinnati Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Athletics at Reds
- Where: Great American Ball Park Cincinnati
- Date: Thursday, August 29th
- Betting Odds CIN -134 | OAK +114 O/U 10
Athletics vs Reds Last Game Recap
It was all Oakland in the last game of this series, as the Athletics took down the Reds by a score of 9-6. The A's offense got off to a fast start, scoring four runs in the first and adding two more in the 2nd. On the other side, the Reds got on the board with one run in the 4th and added five more in the 7th.
Cincinnati had a chance to come back in the 9th, scoring six runs, but Mason Miller came in for the A's and closed things out. Tyler Ferguson got the win out of the bullpen for Oakland as Osvaldo Bido went six innings, giving up two earned runs.
At the plate, the A's were led by Seth Brown and Lawrence Butler, who each had two hits and two RBIs. Will Benson did the most damage for the Reds, going 1/4 with a home run and three RBIs.
Athletics Preview
As underdogs, the Athletics have a 47-71 record straight up, but they are 66-52 against the run line. Overall, they have a 72-61 run line record. Oakland has won three straight games and their series record is 16-22-4. The A's are 58-75 this season and are in 4th place in the AL West, 13 games behind the Astros.
Today's over/under line is set at 10 runs, and the A's O/U record is 59-72 for the season. Their games have averaged 8.6 runs per game. Oakland's straight-up road record is 25-40, and they are 35-30 against the run line on the road. As favorites, they have an 11-4 run line record.
J.T. Ginn is getting the start for the Oakland Athletics on the road vs. the Reds. He has made a pair of bullpen appearances so far this season, with his most recent outing coming at home against the Brewers. In that game, he went 1 2/3 innings and gave up 1 run on 2 hits and struck out 1.
For the season, the Athletics are averaging 4 runs per game, which is 25th in the league. Their batting average and on-base percentage are both in the bottom half of the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in terms of strikeouts. However, they do have the 7th most home runs in the league and are 11th in isolated power.
Over his last seven games, Lawrence Butler has been on fire, going 10/28 with three home runs and seven RBIs. This has pushed his season average to .285. Brent Rooker has been the team's top power threat this season, as his 31 homers are 6th in the league and tops on the team.
Reds Preview
As the favorite, the Reds are 20-26 at home and 32-32 overall. Overall, they are 70-63 against the run line, with a 41-25 record on the road and 29-38 at home. Cincinnati's games have averaged 8.7 runs this season, and their O/U record is 62-65.
Cincinnati is 13.5 games behind in the NL Central and has lost three straight games, trailing the Athletics 0-2 in the series. Their overall record is 63-70, and they have a 19-20 divisional record. The Reds have a series record of 16-23-3 and are 3-7 in their last 10 games.
Julian Aguiar is taking the mound for the Reds at home against the Athletics. This will be his third start of the season, and he has a win and a no-decision so far. In his last start, he went 6 innings and gave up 2 earned runs on 3 hits and 1 home run.
Elly De La Cruz has been a bright spot for the Reds this season, hitting .264 with a team-high 22 homers and 59 RBIs. He has also been hot of late, going 11/30 in his last seven games with nine runs scored and six RBIs. Spencer Steer has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 7/23 in his last seven games with six RBIs. For the season, Steer is batting just .237, but his 19 homers are the 3rd most on the team.
As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.5 runs per game and are 12th in the league in home runs. However, they are batting just .232 as a team and have the 20th on-base percentage in the league. Cincinnati's team on-base percentage is just .304.
Athletics vs. Reds Prediction: Reds ML -134
Our predictions have the Reds coming out on top in this one by a score of 6-5. Given that they are at -134 on the money line, this is the route we recommend going. We have the Reds finishing with 11 strikeouts, which is the second-most in the league today.
Looking at the Athletics, they are projected to finish with just eight hits, and their home run projection is ninth in the league. If you're looking for a starting pitcher, Julian Aguiar is a good option. We have him finishing with six strikeouts, which is the fifth-best among starters.
