Heading into game three of this NL Central matchup, it will be Miles Mikolas on the mound for the Cardinals (70-91, 34-46 home), facing off against the Reds (82-79, 44-36 away) and Hunter Greene. Find out my prediction for today’s Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals game in St. Louis.

CINCINNATI REDS VS ST. LOUIS CARDINALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cincinnati Reds -125

This game will be played at Busch Stadium at 3:15 ET on Sunday, October 1st.

WHY BET THE CINCINNATI REDS:

  • In their last five games, the Reds have a record of 3-2.
  • Looking at the Reds’ last five games as the underdog, they are just 2-3.
  • Opponents are hitting a healthy .301 against Miles Mikolas in his last four starts.

CINCINNATI REDS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

Heading into today’s game, the Reds are 3rd in the NL Central on an overall record of 82-79. So far, they have played in 50 series, and are below .500 at 21-22-7. This season, the Reds are 38-43 at home and 44-36 on the road.

Hunter Greene has taken the mound 21 times this season, posting a 4-6 record and 4.71 ERA. His WHIP is 1.39 and opponents have a .315 OBP against him. The right-hander has struck out 146 batters while walking 47, but he’s been prone to giving up home runs lately, surrendering one in each of his last three starts.

Hunter Greene’s performance in the Reds’ 11-7 victory over the Guardians was far from ideal, as he allowed seven runs on eight hits in three innings of work. Despite the disappointing outing, Greene was able to escape with a no-decision.

The Reds have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 21 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 2nd best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 13th in home runs and 12th in slugging percentage. Overall, Cincinnati is averaging 4.8 runs per game (8th).

Noelvi Marte has been a force at the plate for the Reds over their last five games, topping the team in hits while batting .425. The 2023 season has seen Marte maintain an impressive average of .318 and drive in 15 runs.

WILL THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Cardinals’ overall record of 70-91 puts them 5th in the NL Central. Their straight-up record at home stands at 34-46 compared to a runline mark of 35-45 when playing at Busch Stadium. It is worth noting that the Cardinals have a series record of just 8-13 at home. St. Louis’ over/under record comes in at 78-77.

Miles Mikolas takes the mound with a record of 8-13 and an ERA of 4.82. On the road, he has gone 6-6 with an ERA of 4.30 in 17 starts. At home, he has struggled to a 2-7 mark and 6.41 ERA. His WHIP for the season is 1.33, along with a batting average against of .279 and slugging percentage against of .448.

Miles Mikolas earned a quality start and the victory in his most recent outing, as St. Louis defeated Milwaukee 4-1. The right-hander allowed one run and five hits over seven innings of work.

Offensively, St. Louis is ranked 18th in the league with an average of 4.4 runs per game. When looking over their last five matchups, the Cardinals averaged 4.6 runs per contest, which is 8th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, St. Louis is 11th in all of baseball, with a total of 209 home runs.

The Cardinals have seen Tommy Edman take the lead in home runs over their last five games, with a total of one. His season-long stats show 13 long balls and a .246 batting average.