by Amedeus Mastrangelo
Saturday, Sep 18, 2021
Game Time: 1:10 pm ET, Sunday, September 19, 2021
Venue: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH
Where to Watch: TBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Dodgers -200, Reds +170; Over/Under: 9 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Dodgers -200, Reds +170; Over/Under: 9 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Dodgers -200, Reds +165; Over/Under: 9 runs
Season Record
Los Angeles Dodgers: 94-54 (2nd place, NL West)
Cincinnati Reds: 77-71 (3rd place, NL Central)
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Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cincinnati Reds Preview and Analysis
Recent Form
Los Angeles Dodgers: 7-3 last 10
Cincinnati Reds: 4-6 last 10
Los Angeles Dodgers Analysis
The Dodgers are coming into this game after a loss to the Reds in the series opener of this three-game series. That loss snapped a 6 game win streak that they were on after sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres in their series' prior to this one. This will be the series finale on Sunday with Saturday's result still pending as that game has not been played yet. Max Scherzer will be getting the nod for Saturday's game while Clayton Kershaw will be the starting pitcher on the mound for this game on Sunday. Kershaw is 9-7 with a 3.33 ERA this season. The team has won their last 3 games when he was the starting pitcher. In his last start, he allowed 1 ER and 1 BB with 5 Ks on 4 hits through 4.1 IP against the D-backs last Monday. He has faced the Reds lineup once this season back in April and he was credited with the win allowing 0 runs against them as the Dodgers won that game 8-0. The Dodgers' offense has scored 19 runs in their last 4 games averaging almost 5 runs scored per game in that span while they have allowed their opponents to score 11 runs against them in that same span allowing almost 3 runs per game.
Cincinnati Reds Analysis
The Reds are coming into this game on a 2 game winning streak after beating the Dodgers in the series opener on Friday night. Those are their only 2 wins in their last 6 games played. Sonny Gray will be the starter on Saturday while Wade Miley will be throwing the first pitch for the Reds in this game on Sunday. Miley is 12-6 with a 3.09 ERA this season. The Reds have lost 2 of the last 3 games that Miley has started in, he was credited with the result in each one. In his last start, he allowed 6 runs, 5 of them being earned, and 2 BB with 1 strikeout on 10 hits through 4.1 innings of work against the Pittsburgh Pirates last Tuesday. This will be his first time facing the Dodgers lineup this season. The Reds offense has scored 13 runs in their last 4 games averaging a little over 3 runs scored per game in that span while they have allowed their opponents to score 12 runs against them in that same span allowing 3 runs per game.
Dodgers vs Reds Prediction
The Reds sit just 1 game out of the final wildcard spot in the NL while the Dodgers are sitting 2 games behind the San Francisco Giants for 1st place in the NL West. Both of these teams still have a lot to play for and neither seem like giving up on their respective goals. The Dodgers have much stronger batters in their lineup than the Reds do and Kershaw looks like he never missed a beat in his last start after coming back from an injury. The Reds have already stolen 1 game in this series because of Luis Castillo but it is unlikely that they will take another. The best bet to make here is on the Dodgers as they keep their foot on the gas until the end of the regular season.
Dodgers Reds Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Sunday, September 19, 2021 (1:10 pm ET start time) is Dodgers 6 Reds 1.
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MLB Betting Trends
Los Angeles Dodgers: 74-32 (+12.2 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -150 or more.
Cincinnati Reds: 39-34 (-6.5 units) on the moneyline in home games.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Dodgers: C. Bellinger (RF) Ques Sat - Ribs injury. G. Lux (SS) Ques Sat - Forearm injury. D. Duffy (SP) Late Sept - Hip injury.
Cincinnati Reds: S. Akiyama (LF) Out Fri - Hamstring injury. T. Naquin (CF) Out indefinitely - Ribs injury. J. Winker (RF) Prob Fri - Back injury. N. Castellanos (RF) Ques Sat - Undisclosed injury.
Players to Watch
Los Angeles Dodgers: Max Muncy is one player to watch in this game. He leads his team in RBI and in homers and will need to keep up the good play if they want to catch the Giants for the NL West lead. Look for him to keep rolling as his team needs to get hot for a deep playoff run.
Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto is one player to watch here. He leads his team in home runs and in RBI. He will need to step up and help the hitters on his team get a win here if they want to have a taste of the postseason this year.
Notable Quotes
"We chased at times and expanded when we shouldn't have. Regardless of how we're going, Castillo is going to present challenges. We knew runs were going to be hard to come by tonight." - Dave Roberts on how his team played on Friday.
"We were playing a high quality team. It felt like a playoff game. Because of that, I was focused today. I felt a lot of adrenaline with the fans behind me." - Luis Castillo after a big win against the Dodgers.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Dodgers
M. Betts RF
M. Muncy 1B
T. Turner 2B
C. Seager SS
J. Turner 3B
W. Smith C
C. Bellinger CF
M. Beaty LF
W. Buehler P
Cincinnati Reds
J. India 2B
J. Winker CF
N. Castellanos RF
J. Votto 1B
M. Moustakas 3B
K. Farmer SS
T. Barnhart C
M. Schrock LF
L. Castillo P
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Dodgers
Batting Average: T. Turner (.317)
Hits: T. Turner (170)
Home Runs: M. Muncy (34)
RBI: M. Muncy (86)
Stolen Bases: T. Turner (29)
Wins: J. Urias (18)
Saves: K. Jansen (33)
ERA: J. Nelson (1.86)
Cincinnati Reds
Batting Average: M. Schrock (.321)
Hits: N. Castellanos (150)
Home Runs: J. Votto (30)
RBI: J. Votto (88)
Stolen Bases: J. India (10)
Wins: W. Miley (12)
Saves: M. Givens (8)
ERA: T. Antone (1.87)
Managers:
Los Angeles Dodgers: Dave Roberts (6th season)
Cincinnati Reds: David Bell (3rd season)
Weather Forecast
87 degrees F partly cloudy, 63% humidity, 0% chance of rain, up to 8 mph wind speeds NW.
Amedeus Mastrangelo
About the Author:
Amedeus Mastrangelo has been heavily wagering on all sports for years and plays just about everything, including sides, totals, favorites, underdogs, against the spread, alternative spreads, first half, second half, player props, and futures. The bottom line is, if Mastrangelo can see an edge in any way shape or form, then he's going to take advantage.
