The Reds (62-59, 29-32 home) will host the Guardians (58-62, 27-34 away) in game two of this interleague series. Starting for the Reds is Andrew Abbott, while the Guardians are giving the ball to Noah Syndergaard. Read on to see my pick for this showdown between Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS CINCINNATI REDS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cincinnati Reds -168

This game will be played at Great American Ball Park at 6:40 ET on Wednesday, August 16th.

WHY BET THE CINCINNATI REDS:

  • The Guardians have gone just 4-6 in their last ten games.
  • Over their previous five games as the underdog, the Guardians are just 2-3 straight-up.
  • The Reds are 2-1 in Andrew Abbott’s last five starts.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

This year, the Guardians have put together a 62-58 record against the runline. On the road, their runline mark sits at 33-28. Straight-up, they are 58-62 and are 2nd in the AL Central. Lately, Cleveland has had problems on the road, losing two straight series. The team’s over/under record for the season is 51-66.

The Guardians will turn to starter Noah Syndergaard, who has a 2-5 record thus far in the 2023 season. Across 15 appearances, Syndergaard has an ERA of 6.35 and a K/9 of 5.72. His FIP is 5.79 and his opponents’ OBP is .324.

The Guardians earned a victory in Syndergaard’s last start, defeating the Blue Jays 4-3. The right-hander pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and one earned run to improve his record to a win.

Over their last ten games, the Guardians are ranked 13th in the league in scoring at 3.8 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4.1 per contest puts them 25th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Cleveland is 16th, with an OBP currently sitting at .313. The team’s collective batting average is .250 (11th).

The Guardians’ Steven Kwan is the team’s leader in hits, boasting a .274 batting average. His slugging percentage stands at .383 and on-base percentage at .343 entering the game.

WILL THE CINCINNATI REDS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

On an overall record of 62-59, the Reds are 2nd in the NL Central. On the road, Cincinnati has put together a record of 33-27 while going 29-32 at home. Against teams with below .500 records, the club has gone 27-27. Overall, the Reds have played in 38 series, going 18-16-4.

Andrew Abbott is off to a strong start in 2023, boasting a 7-3 record and 2.95 ERA. On the road, he has gone 5-1 with an ERA of 3.99, while at home he has put together a mark of 2-2 and ERA of 3.03. His WHIP stands at 1.11 and opponents have managed to hit just .209 against him with a slugging percentage of .378.

The Cincinnati Reds earned a victory in Andrew Abbott’s most recent start, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-2. In 5 2/3 innings of work, Abbott surrendered four hits and two earned runs, resulting in a win for his record.

The Reds have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 4 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 7th 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).

Joey Votto has been a major contributor to the Reds’ offense this season, leading the team with 13 home runs over their last ten games. His overall batting average stands at .209.