Guardians vs Reds Betting Preview: Ohio Battle Has Playoff Implications

Both Teams Outside Looking In

August 15, 2023 307 2 minutes readMLB Picks & Parlays

Guardians vs Reds Betting Preview: Ohio Battle Has Playoff Implications — Mike Carlson/Getty Images/AFP

The Guardians vs Reds betting preview shows two teams who are battling to stay on pace for playoff berths. The Guardians have fallen 4.5 games out of first place in the AL Central. The Reds are 3.5 games out of first in the NL Central, but just .5 games out of a wild card berth. The teams are meeting for a brief two-game series.

The Guardians are expected to send Logan Allen to the mound in Tuesday’s opener. Cincinnati will counter with Graham Ashcraft. Cleveland is -107 and the total on the game is 9.5-under (-120). The Guardians are +150 on the run line at -1.5 runs.

Cleveland is 57-62 on the season, going 31-28 at home, but just 26-34 on the road. As a result Cleveland is in second place in the MLB standings division in the AL Central. It’s turned into a two-team race, as Detroit is third, but 8.0 games back.

The Guardians are No. 17 in team batting average, but just No. 26 in runs scored. Cleveland is the only team in MLB not to have at least 100 home runs this MLB season, which helps explain its lack of scoring. The Guardians are one of the best pitching teams in baseball, sitting at No. 4 in team ERA. The Guardians are 50-29 when they scored three or more runs. Cleveland is just 7-33 when they score two runs or less.

The Reds are No. 15 in team batting average, but No. 6 in runs scored. That’s allowed Cincinnati to remain in playoff contention despite being No. 26 in team ERA. While the pitching staff has put up some ugly numbers, the bullpen has gotten the job done when it matters. The Reds lead the league with 43 saves.

Tuesday’s Game

The Guardians vs Reds betting preview shows Allen is 5-5 with a 3.55 ERA for Cleveland this season. The Guardians have gone 11-6 in the games he’s started this season and 6-2 on the road. Ashcraft is 6-7 with a 4.95 ERA and the Reds are 10-12 when he starts and 5-8 on the road. Cincinnati is 19-16 against left-handed starters, scoring 5.29 runs per game.

The Reds average 4.66 runs against right-handed starters, so they do score a bit more against lefties. But that’s countered by Allen allowing .5 fewer runs on the road than he does at home. This is a tough one that could go either way, but would have to lean to the Guardians.

Wednesday’s Game

The Guardians vs Reds betting preview shows Noah Syndergaard getting the start for Cleveland. Andrew Abbott will start for the Reds and Cincinnati will be mid-sized favorites in this one. Syndergaard will be making his fourth start for Cleveland and he’s pitched better for the Guardians than the Dodgers. He’s 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA, but has allowed 17 hits in 17 innings and fanned just eight batters. Still, two of his three starts have been decent for Cleveland.

Abbott is 7-3 with a 2.95 ERA and the Reds have gone 10-3 in the games he’s started this season. Two of his three losses have come at home. Cleveland scores roughly the same number of runs against left-handers as they do against right-handed starters. The Reds look to be the side to be on for your baseball betting plays.