The Reds (64-60, 31-33 home) will host the Blue Jays (68-56, 36-29 away) in game three of this interleague series. Starting for the Reds is Hunter Greene, while the Blue Jays are giving the ball to Hyun Jin Ryu. Read on to see my pick for this showdown between Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS VS CINCINNATI REDS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cincinnati Reds +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Great American Ball Park at 1:40 ET on Sunday, August 20th.

WHY BET THE CINCINNATI REDS:

  • The Blue Jays have gone just 2-3 in their last five games vs. the runline.
  • Toronto have failed to cover the runline in five straight road games.
  • Opponents are hitting just .194 against Hunter Greene in his last five starts.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

The Blue Jays head into today’s game ranked 3rd in the AL East on an overall record of 68-56. So far, they have put together an above .500 mark on the road at 36-29 and across 39 series, they are 22-15-2.

Hyun Jin Ryu has taken the mound three times this season and is currently 1-1. The left-hander has been on a two game streak of not allowing a single home run, and his slugging percentage allowed is .353. He has struck out eight batters so far, and his WHIP stands at 1.07.

Hyun Jin Ryu earned a victory in his most recent start, surrendering no earned runs and two hits in five innings against the Cubs. The Blue Jays ultimately emerged victorious with an 11-4 scoreline.

In their ten most recent games, the Blue Jays have put together a batting average of only .219, placing them 25th compared to the rest of the league. At 4.4 runs per game, Toronto is 16th in the MLB. This figure has come on a team batting average of .258 and OPS of .740 which has them 13th in baseball.

Over the Blue Jays’ last five contests, Daulton Varsho has been the leader in long balls, with one. On the season, he has 15 round-trippers and a .221 batting average.

WILL THE CINCINNATI REDS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Leading up to today’s game, the Reds are 2nd in the NL Central on a record of 64-60. Overall, they have played in 39 different series, going 18-16-5. When playing above .500 teams, the Reds are 64-60, and currently hold win percentages of 48.4% at home and 55.0% on the road.

Hunter Greene has taken the mound 14 times for the Reds this season, and holds a 2-4 record. His ERA is 3.93, K/9 12.27, FIP 3.56, and OBP .309. The right-hander will be looking to turn his fortunes around in his next start for Cincinnati.

The Reds earned a victory when Hunter Greene toed the rubber, defeating the Astros 10-3. The right-hander tossed six frames, giving up five hits and two earned runs while picking up the win.

This season, the Reds are 10th in the league at 4.8 runs per game. Over their last five games, they have a combined batting average of .225 (19th) leading to 3.4 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.4 walks per game compared to 9 strikeouts. Cincinnati’s on-base percentage of .327 has them 7th in the MLB.

Spencer Steer has been a major contributor to the Reds’ offensive success this season, leading the team with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs. His slugging percentage of .458 is also impressive.