Next up on our MLB schedule of picks and predictions is a Cactus League matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks (5-8, 3-3 Away) and Cincinnati Reds (7-6, 3-2 Home) on Friday night.
First pitch from Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona, is scheduled for 8:05 pm EST, the final game on the Friday slate. The Diamondbacks vs Reds odds are not yet available.
This is the first and only meeting between these two MLB teams during Spring Training, but they’ll meet seven times during the regular season, though not until July. The Reds edged out the season series a year ago, winning four of the seven head-to-head meetings during the 2022 campaign.
Continue reading for a breakdown of the Diamondbacks vs Reds odds and our final prediction.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cincinnati Reds Odds
As of this writing, this game is off the board and not available to bet on all of the major sportsbooks. Be sure to check back with InsidersBettingDigest for any updates and all of our MLB picks today and full breakdowns of many other MLB games.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cincinnati Reds Matchup Information
Arizona Diamondbacks vs Cincinnati Reds
Location of the Game: Goodyear Ballpark. Goodyear, Arizona.
Date and Time: Friday, March 10, 2023. 8:05 PM ET.
How to Watch: FS
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview
Arizona Diamondbacks
Making Arizona Diamondbacks picks last season was less than fruitful as they finished the year 74-88. However, that was straight up. The run line was a completely different story. In 2022, the D-backs were 94-68 on the run line, the third-best mark in all of baseball, behind only Baltimore and the Dodgers, so they were certainly competitive.
Arizona continues to try to build from within, not making tremendously splashy off-season moves this winter. They picked up Evan Longoria to play third after trading away Eduardo Escobar last year to the Mets, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will be their new DH, and they tried to beef up their bullpen with the addition of Andrew Chafin.
They join Christian Walker, who was seventh in all of baseball in home runs, steady force Ketel Marte, and uber-prospect Corbin Carroll, who is embarking on his first full season in the big leagues. Zac Gallen will be the ace of the staff once again after an impressive 2022 that saw him post quality MLB player stats, going 12-4 with a 2.54 ERA over 184 innings.
Brandon Pfaadt gets his third start of the spring on Friday night as he looks to continue to build a case to be included in the rotation, having only allowed two hits and two walks thus far.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds were one of the worst teams in baseball last season. A check of the MLB standings from 2022 found them tied for last in the NL Central with the Pirates with records of 62-100, 31 games behind the division-winning Cardinals.
The Cincinnati Reds schedule has them opening the regular season with Pittsburgh at home, followed by three with the Cubs before their first road trip of the year takes them to Philadelphia and Atlanta.
The team just announced on Thursday that Hunter Greene will get the ball on Opening Day after the 23-year-old and No. 2 pick in the 2017 MLB Draft led the team in strikeouts, innings, and starts in his rookie campaign.
“It means the world,” Greene said. “It’s a huge honor considering the history in Cincinnati, the success they’ve had in the city. I take a lot of pride in it. It’s a huge honor, especially with the rest of the talent in the starting rotation we have.”
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cincinnati Reds Betting Picks
The MLB injury report is highlighted by Joey Votto and Nick Senzel of the Reds. Votto is out with shoulder and biceps issues, while Senzel still isn’t running at 100 percent as he deals with a toe injury.
Not having the Diamondbacks vs Reds odds at our disposal makes this difficult, but we’ll go with the Diamondbacks as this is a split-squad game for Cincinnati. The rest of the Reds will be in Peoria, AZ, taking on the Mariners. Look for Pfaadt to go a few innings to get an extended look as he tries to work his way onto the big club.
- Pick: Diamondbacks ML
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks.