Looking to surprise everyone, the Cincinnati Reds will visit the Bronx once more to take on the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
After narrowly defeating the Yanks in the series opener on Tuesday and battling into extras with them Wednesday, the guests aim to win the three-game slate with a victory here.
New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds (33-55) are the second-worst team in the National League when it comes to wins — only Washington has fewer.
But they had a season-long five-game winning surge broken in a 7-6 defeat in 10 frames Wednesday night.
Reds Performance Recap
Going into this one, Cincy trails division-leading Milwaukee by 15.5 games in the NL Central. Nobody in the Senior Circuit has notched fewer away wins on the MLB schedule.
Apparently, that hasn’t mattered all that much during this bill. New York (62-26) had its pace slowed slightly during a three-game slide.
Yankees Performance Recap
The Yankees, who hold a commanding 14-game lead in the American League East, have the most wins in the majors.
They’ve also come out on top at home more than anybody else. Keep that in mind with MLB betting. The Bronx Bombers have done well in all facets this season, including pitching.
New York’s 3.08 ERA is the second-best in the AL, behind only Houston’s. They also grade out behind only the Astros as it pertains to home runs conceded.
Although the offense touts a .244 batting average, which is relatively middling, the Yankees have hit a major league-leading 147 home runs.
Yankees Lineup Breakdown
Center fielder Aaron Judge’s 30 long balls are tops in the bigs. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has 23, while first baseman Anthony Rizzo has 22.
Six New York batters have pinned up double-digit long balls. One of them is Matt Carpenter, who has also been able to make a sizable impact since joining the crew.
In 65 trips to the plate, he’s put up a .338 batting average and clubbed 10 homers. He has 22 runs driven in, as well.
New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds Odds
Before you see our MLB picks today, let’s take a look at the betting odds for this contest. New York is -1.5 on the run line at +102, while the Reds are -122 to cover the spread.
Moneyline Odds
On the moneyline, the Yankees are -200 and Cincy a +168 underdog. The total set at eight runs, with the over being -112 and the under -108 at the time of this writing.
Reds Stats
For the Reds, it all starts with their pitching. Statistically, Cincy is the worst team in MLB with a 5.22 ERA. They’ve allowed the fifth-most hits and the second-most homers in the bigs.
At the plate, they’ve done slightly better. Just barely, they rank in the middle third with a .240 collective batting average.
In that regard, they’re led by third baseman Brandon Drury, who’s hitting .279. Drury also paces the order with 18 dingers, 50 RBIs, and a .338 on-base percentage. Shortstop Kyle Farmer and left fielder Tommy Pham are both hitting .245 or better.
New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview
Who Is Starting for the Yankees?
Nestor Cortes will head out to the bump for the New York Yankees, having posted a 7-3 record and a 2.74 ERA thus far. His 1.03 WHIP is among the best in the majors.
New York has come out on the right side of his last three starts, which came against Boston, Cleveland, and Houston.
Most recently, against the Red Sox, he could only last 3.2 frames, giving up eight hits and four earned runs. He’ll be out to fix that this time around.
Who Is Starting for the Red?
Righty Luis Castillo is slated to get the nod for Cincy. He’s gone 3-4 with a 2.92 ERA in a dozen starts this campaign.
His team has done well with him on the hill, winning his last three starts. In the last two of which, Castillo managed seven innings.
In both games, he only gave up one run. It feels like Castillo is the guy that the Reds would want to have out there against such a potent lineup.
New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds Picks and Predictions
Now to make our Reds vs. Yankees betting predictions. As tempting as it is to say that Cincy will rally around Castillo on the mound, it’s hard to bet against the Yankees, who have it all.
While the Reds were able to make some noise in the initial two games in this slate, take New York to cover the spread in this clash.
MLB Pick: Yankees 1.5 (+102)
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up for our mailing list for free betting picks.