Cincinnati Reds at Tampa Bay Rays Betting Odds

Betting Odds

Moneyline: Tampa Bay (-125)
Game Total Line: 7.5
Run Line: Tampa Bay -1.5 (+160)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

The Cincinnati Reds will look to take the early edge tonight with a win in Game 1 of this week’s three-game interleague series with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

Cincinnati lost two of three to Baltimore this weekend to fall to 3-6 in its last nine games. The Reds now find themselves four games in back of Milwaukee in the NL Central with an overall record of 40-39. They are 22-19 at home and 18-20 on the road.

Consistency on offense has plagued Cincinnati in this recent rough patch. It scored 22 runs in the three wins over the past nine games, but averaged just 2.67 runs in six losses. To make matters worse, the Reds may be without one of their most productive players for this game as Jay Bruce is listed as questionable with an undisclosed illness. He is tied with Joey Votto for the team lead in RBI with 49.

Fortunately, it is Johnny Cueto’s turn in the rotation for Cincinnati. He has given up just one earned run on 11 hits in his last three starts and is a perfect 3-0. Cueto is 5-2 on the year with a 0.97 WHIP and an ERA of just 1.63.This will be his first career start against the Rays.

Tampa Bay has won eight of its last nine games including a three-game sweep of Houston over the weekend. The Rays scored 26 runs in the three games and pounded out a 14-10 victory on Sunday as a 124 road favorite. They are now two games behind New York in the AL East with an overall record of 44-34; 26-16 on the road and 18-18 at home.

Hitting and scoring runs has not been an issue for this team, as its lineup has averaged 6.1 runs per game over this nine-game stretch. The heart of the order consists of Ben Zobrist, B.J. Upton, and Matt Joyce. These three have combined for 119 RBI and 30 home runs so far this year.

Jeremy Hellickson will get the start for Tampa Bay. He is 7-6 this season in 14 starts with a 3.09 ERA. Hellickson has given up 10 earned runs on 14 hits in his last 18.2 innings pitched, getting tagged with the loss in all three games. He will be making his first career start against the Reds.

Cincinnati is 18-16 as an underdog this season. The total has stayed ‘under’ in six of its last nine games but is 42-33-4 overall.

Tampa Bay is 28-19 as a favorite. The total has gone ‘over’ in four of its last six games, but has stayed ‘under’ in 43 of 78 games overall this year.

MLB Betting Pick

These two teams have not faced one another since 2005, when the Reds swept all three games at home. This time around, stick with Cincinnati to grab the early edge on the road behind another strong outing by Cueto. Take Cincinnati +115 at 5Dimes and get reduced Juice and 5 Cent MLB Overnight Lines!!