Andrew Abbott will get the start for the Reds (73-69, 35-37 home) as they host the Cardinals (61-79, 30-39 away) at Great American Ball Park. The Cardinals will give the starting nod to Drew Rom. Check out my prediction for game one of this NL Central matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS VS CINCINNATI REDS BETTING PICK

The Pick: St. Louis Cardinals +111

This game will be played at Great American Ball Park at 6:40 ET on Friday, September 8th.

WHY BET THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS:

  • In their last five games, the Cardinals have a record of 3-2.
  • Over their last ten games as the favorite, the Reds are just 3-7 (straight-up).
  • Andrew Abbott has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 5.42 over his last five starts.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS HAVE STRUGGLED AGAINST THE NL CENTRAL

On a record of 61-79, the Cardinals find themselves in 5th place in the NL Central. When playing away from home, St. Louis is just 30-39 and come into the game with an overall series record of 16-23-4.

Drew Rom has yet to secure a victory in the 2023 season, with an 0-2 record and 7.24 ERA. On the road, he has been unable to find success, going 0-2 with a 9.05 ERA. At home, he is still searching for his first win of the year, posting an ERA of 5.79 and 0-0 record. His WHIP stands at 1.90 while opponents are batting .300 against him and slugging .500.

Drew Rom pitched 4 2/3 innings in the Cardinals’ 7-6 loss to the Pirates. Despite surrendering three runs on five hits, he was not charged with a decision.

Having gone deep 12 times in their last five games, the Cardinals are 2nd in that span. At 4.6 runs per game, St. Louis is 16th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .254 while hitting a total of 194 home runs (7th).

Jordan Walker has been a key contributor to the Cardinals’ offensive success this season, as he leads the team with 15 home runs over the course of their last ten games. His overall batting average stands at .275, further demonstrating his impressive performance at the plate.

WILL THE CINCINNATI REDS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Entering game 143 of their season, the Reds are 5.5 games out in the NL Central and are in 3rd place. So far, their overall series record stands at 19-19-5. Cincinnati’s road winning percent is currently 54.3% (38-32) compared to 48.6% at home (35-37).

Andrew Abbott will take the mound for the Reds with an 8-4 record in 17 appearances this season. His ERA is 3.22, and he has a K/9 of 9.85. His FIP is 3.99 and OBP .287.

Andrew Abbott didn’t factor into the decision in Cincinnati’s 2-1 victory against Chicago, but he did turn in a quality start. The right-hander yielded one run on four hits over 6 1/3 frames.

For the season, the Reds are 13th in batting average, hitting a combined .248. Over their last ten games, they have hit .251 which is 9th in that span. Cincinnati’s average of 4.7 runs per game puts them 10th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 163 times and have a team slugging percentage of .413.

Spencer Steer has been a major contributor to the Reds’ offense in 2023, leading the team with 20 home runs and 77 RBIs. His slugging percentage of .453 is also impressive.