Cincinnati Reds vs Houston Astros Preview
Wednesday’s Reds vs. Astros interleague matchup has a first pitch set for 6:40 PM ET from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The Reds are 66-73 overall and they are 4th in the NL Central, while the Astros are 75-63 and they are 1st in the AL West. Houston is currently favored on the money line, and the over/under line is at 9 runs.
BSOH is carrying Wednesday’s TV coverage for this one, and Spencer Arrighetti is starting for the Astros, while Nick Martinez goes for the Reds. Cincinnati is looking to keep their two-game winning streak alive.
Check out BetCoco for Cincinnati Reds – Houston Astros odds
Cincinnati Reds vs. Houston Astros Trends and Key Stats
- Over the course of their previous five away games, the Astros have recorded a 2-3 record, with a 3-2 performance on the runline.
- The Reds, on the other hand, have played five home games recently, during which they have recorded a 2-3 (SU) and 2-3 record.
- In their last ten games as the favorite, the Astros have a straight-up record of 6-4 and a runline record of 5-5.
- As the underdog, the Reds have gone 4-6 vs. the runline and 5-5 straight-up.
It was all Cincinnati in the last game of this series, as the Reds took down the Astros by a score of 5-3. The Reds offense only had two more hits than the Astros and struck out 10 times, but still picked up a win. Heading into the game, they were at +137 on the money line.
This game featured a starting pitching matchup between Julian Aguiar for the Reds and Justin Verlander for the Astros. Aguiar only went 2 2/3 innings but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. Verlander was tagged for five runs in 4 2/3 innings of work.
Cincinnati’s two biggest offensive performances came from Ty France and Santiago Espinal. France went 4/4 with an RBI, while Espinal was 2/4 with two RBIs. Amed Rosario and Tyler Stephenson each had two hits and an RBI for the Reds.
Cincinnati Reds vs Houston Astros Prediction
The Astros hold a 6.5-game lead over the Mariners for the AL West lead, heading into today’s road matchup vs. the Reds. This season, the Astros are 75-63 overall, and they are 21-18 in divisional games. So far, they have gone 39-29 at home and 36-34 on the road.
Houston has dropped the first game of their series vs. the Reds and are 24-18-2 in series this year. As the favorite, the Astros are 57-44 and 18-19 as the underdog. They have been playing well of late, going 6-4 over their last 10 games.
When the Astros win, they win by an average of 3.7 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.1 runs per game. Their run line record is 71-67, and they are 39-31 on the run line on the road. They are 25-12 on the run line as an underdog.
The Houston Astros are on the road today against the Cincinnati Reds. The over/under line for the game is set at 9 runs, which is slightly higher than their combined run average of 8.5 runs per game this season. The Astros have an over/under record of 54-79 on the year, and their average over/under line is also 9 runs. When the line has been set at 9 runs this season, they have gone 11-8-2. Overall, only 13.8% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs or higher.
Houston is sending right-hander Spencer Arrighetti to the mound today vs. the Reds. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 7-11 with an ERA of 4.63. Arrighetti’s WHIP for the season is 1.38. In his 24 appearances, he has turned in eight quality starts and is averaging 10.93 strikeouts per nine innings. Arrighetti’s most recent outing was a gem, as he went 7 2/3 innings vs. the Phillies, giving up no runs, and picking up the win. He has won three of his last four starts.
Yordan Alvarez has been on fire for the Astros of late, going 11/23 (.478) over his last six games, with five homers and six RBIs. For the season, he is batting .313 with 30 homers, which is 8th in the league. Yainer Diaz is also having a strong season, hitting .300 with a team-high 78 RBIs. Jose Altuve is batting .294 for the Astros, and Alex Bregman comes in with 21 homers and a batting average of .260.
As a team, the Astros are 3rd in batting average, 4th in fewest strikeouts, and are averaging 4.6 runs per game. They have been a good home run hitting team this season and are also near the top of the league in on-base percentage and slugging. Houston comes into the game with a team OPS of .738.
Cincinnati is 66-73 overall and 15 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Reds are 4th in the division and have gone 20-23 in divisional games this year. They have won two straight games, and their home/road splits are quite even with a 34-39 home record and a 32-34 mark on the road.
As the home underdog, the Reds have gone 13-12 this season, and they are 33-40 as the underdog overall. Cincinnati has won two straight games as the underdog, and they are 33-33 when favored. The Reds’ overall series record is 16-25-3, and they have dropped three straight series.
The Reds have been a solid run line team this season, going 74-65. They have been especially good on the road, going 41-25. They have gone 33-40 against the run line at home. They have been a good run line bet as the underdog, going 47-26. Their average run margin for the season is +0.1 runs per game.
When the Cincinnati Reds play at home, the over/under line is set at 9 runs. This season, the Reds’ games have averaged 8.8 runs per game, and their over/under record is 65-67. When the line is set at 9 runs, the Reds have gone 5-19-5 on the over/under. Overall, 29.5% of their games have had over/under lines set at over 9 runs, and 49.6% of their games have had lines set at under 9 runs. They have hit the under in their last two games.
Right-hander Nick Martinez gets the start for the Reds today and has made 11 starts this season. He is coming off a rough outing against the Brewers, where he gave up four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Martinez finished with a no-decision in that outing. In his 11 starts, he has a record of 6-6 and an ERA of 3.77. Opponents are batting .248 off Martinez this season, and he has a BB/9 figure of 1.15 compared to 7.06 strikeouts per nine innings. Martinez has made 20 starts at home, going 3-4 with a 3.85 ERA.
Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer have been the Reds’ top power threats this season, as De La Cruz leads the team with 22 homers and Steer is right behind him with 19. De La Cruz is also batting .261, while Steer is hitting just .234. Both players have been driving in runs at a good clip, with De La Cruz having 61 RBIs and Steer leading the team with 85. Jeimer Candelario is 2nd on the team in homers but is batting just .225.
The Reds will be looking for a bounce-back game from Will Benson, who is just 2/10 in his last four games and has just one homer in his last four games. Amed Rosario and TJ Friedl are both on three-game hitting streaks, with Rosario going 4/14 in his last five games and hitting a homer in this stretch. Jonathan India has also been swinging a good bat of late, going 6/18 in his last five games.
Our pick for today’s Astros vs. Reds matchup is to take the Reds on the money line at +120. We have the Reds winning this one by a final score of 6-5. If you are looking for a parlay, you could also take the over, as the line is sitting at 9 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Nick Martinez of the Reds is projected to have a strong outing, with a predicted seven strikeouts and a top-three projection for earned runs allowed. As for Spencer Arrighetti, he has a higher strikeout projection (seven) but is also projected to give up the most earned runs among today’s starters.
Cincinnati Reds vs Houston Astros Betting Tips
- Take the Astros on the moneyline
- The Reds are also our pick on the run line at +1.5
- Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over
Cincinnati Reds Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Jeimer Candelario | Out | Toe |
| Nick Lodolo | Out | Finger |
| Austin Wynns | Out | Teres Major |
| Nick Martini | Out | Thumb |
| Stuart Fairchild | Out | Thumb |
| Hunter Greene | Out | Elbow |
| Ian Gibaut | Out | Forearm |
| Matt McLain | Out | Shoulder |
| Graham Ashcraft | Out | Elbow |
| Tejay Antone | Out | Elbow |
| Christian Roa | Out | Shoulder |
| Andrew Abbott | Out | Shoulder |
| Christian Encarnacion-Strand | Out | Wrist |
Houston Astros Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Kendall Graveman | Out | Shoulder |
| Lance McCullers Jr. | Out | Forearm |
| Alex Bregman | Questionable | Elbow |
| Kyle Tucker | Out | Shin |
| Cristian Javier | Out | Elbow |
| Luis Garcia | Out | Elbow |
| Jake Meyers | Out | Personal |
| Bennett Sousa | Out | Shoulder |
| José Urquidy | Out | Elbow |
| Penn Murfee | Out | Elbow |
| Oliver Ortega | Out | Elbow |
| J.P. France | Out | Undisclosed |
