At 6:40 PM ET, the Braves and Reds will face off in an NL matchup. This one is taking place at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, and the Reds are the slight underdog on the money line (+125). The Braves are on a three-game losing streak and their record is 81-70 (3rd NL East).
Wednesday’s forecast in Cincinnati calls for scattered clouds and temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Spencer Schwellenbach is starting for the Braves, while the Reds are going with Jakob Junis. The over/under line is at 8.5 runs, and the game can be seen on BSOH.
Braves Battle for Playoff Push: Schwellenbach Takes the Mound Amid Offensive Struggles
The Braves are 3rd in the NL East and trail the Phillies by 10 games with an overall record of 81-70. They are 24-22 in divisional games and have an overall series record of 26-17-7. Atlanta is 4-6 over their last 10 games and have dropped three straight games. The Braves are 42-33 at home this season and 39-37 on the road. They are 68-52 as the favorite and 13-18 as the underdog. Atlanta’s run line record is 71-80, and their average run margin is +0.4 runs per game. Today, they will send right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach to the mound, and he is 6-7 with a 3.73 ERA this year.
Atlanta’s offense is 16th in scoring at 4.3 runs per game, and they are 11th on the road at 4.6 runs per game. Their .240 team batting average is 14th, and they are 6th in homers with 191. Marcell Ozuna has 37 homers and 98 RBI, while Matt Olson has 26 homers and 89 RBI. Michael Harris II is hitting .250 over his last 9 games, while Jorge Soler is on a 7-game hitting streak. The Braves are 57-89 on the over/under this season, and the over has hit in four straight games. The average over/under line for their games is 8 runs, and their over/under record in games with a line of 8.5 is 14-25.
Reds Eye NL Central Surge with Home Winning Streak and Junis on the Mound
The Reds are 74-78 overall, and they trail the Cardinals by 2.5 games for the 3rd spot in the NL Central. Cincinnati is 21-25 in divisional games. They have won five straight games at home, and their overall record at home is 37-39, which is the same as their road record. The Reds have gone 33-33 as the favorite and as the underdog. Today, they are at home against the Braves, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The Reds have gone over 19 times and under 15 times when the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs.
Cincinnati is 83-69 against the run line this season, and their average run margin is +0.2 runs per game. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.8 runs per game. Jakob Junis is 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA this season, and he has a WHIP of .89. Per nine innings, he is averaging 6.75 strikeouts and 1.12 walks. Junis has gone five innings in each of his last three outings. The Reds are 14th in scoring at 4.4 runs per game, and their slugging percentage of .395 is 15th. Spencer Steer has 20 home runs for the Reds this season, and TJ Friedl is hitting .357 over his last seven games.
Betting on the Underdog: Reds to Edge Braves in Thrilling 5-4 Victory
Our pick for this Braves vs. Reds matchup is to take the Reds on the money line at +125. We have the Reds winning this one by a score of 5-4. Given that the payout for a Reds win is better than the payout for the Braves, the money line is the best way to play this one.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Jakob Junis is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is good for 15th among starters. As for Spencer Schwellenbach, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is ninth among starters.
