The 2022 MLB season continues Sunday, June 12, with a 15-game card, including the closing battle of a three-game NL Central series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, so here’s the best Reds vs. Cardinals betting pick.  

The Cards blanked the Reds 2-0 in Friday’s opener, while Saturday’s middle contest is excluded from this preview. St. Louis is listed as a -171 moneyline favorite for Sunday’s clash, and the Reds are +157 road underdogs with a total of 8.5 runs on Bookmaker Sportsbook.  

The Reds dropped seven of their first ten games in June                                

At the time of writing, the 20-38 Cincinnati Reds had a 3-0 lead over the Cardinals in the top of the fourth inning. They were trying to stop a three-game slide that started with a 7-0 home defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks this past Wednesday. 

The Reds have gone 3-7 through their first ten showings in June. They’ve scored 51 runs in the process while posting a strong .275/.342/.437 slash line. However, the Reds pitching staff owns a lackluster 4.60 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in June. 

Graham Ashcraft will toe the rubber Sunday, aiming for his fourth consecutive win. The 24-year-old rookie right-hander is 3-0 with a microscopic 1.14 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in four starts and 23.2 frames of work. He tossed six scoreless innings in a 14-8 victory over the Diamondbacks this past Tuesday.  

The Cardinals want to stay atop of the NL Central                                

The St. Louis Cardinals improved to 33-26 on the season following that 2-0 victory over the Reds. They snapped a three-game skid, too, as the Cards got swept by the Tampa Bat Rays on the road this week. St. Louis took advantage of Milwaukee’s awful run of form, occupying the top spot in the NL Central on Saturday, half a game above the Brewers. 

The Cards have gone 5-5 through their first ten outings in June. Their pitching staff has posted a 4.22 ERA and 1.44 WHIP, while the Cardinals’ offense has scored 45 runs on a poor .239/.304/.354 triple-slash. 

Dakota Hudson will toe the slab Sunday, hoping for another strong display in 2022. The 27-year-old righty is 4-2 with a sharp 2.76 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 11 starts (58.2 innings) this season. Hudson has surrendered only a couple of earned runs on 11 hits over his previous three starts and 18.2 frames of work. 

Trends:

Cincinnati: 

  • 2-6 in the last eight games overall 
  • 3-9 in the last 12 games played in June  

St. Louis:

  • 6-1 in the last seven games at home 
  • 5-1 in the last six games against Cincinnati 

Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals Pick 

Graham Ashcraft is undoubtedly a pleasant surprise, but rookie groundballer will have to slow down eventually. His expected batting average ranks in the 40th percentile in the MLB, while Graham’s cutter has a minus-4 run value. 

On the other side, the current Reds have only 11 hits (zero home runs) in 62 at-bats against Dakota Hudson. I’m backing the Cardinals to win, hoping to see another strong outing from Hudson, while the Cards’ offense will look to get into the Reds’ bullpen as soon as possible. Cincinnati’s relievers own a terrible 7.89 ERA and 5.43 FIP in June. 

Pick: Take St. Louis Cardinals at -171                            

The Total:

I would stick with the Cardinals to win. Even if Graham Ashcraft continues to shine, his relievers will have a tall task to keep the Reds alive. Ashcraft and Dakota Hudson should not allow a lot of runs, but you never know with the Reds ‘pen. 

Busch Stadium is a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Six of the Cardinals’ last eight outings at home have produced eight or fewer runs in total. 

Pick: Go under 8.5 runs at -105