Cardinals vs. Reds (August 31): Will St. Louis bounce back from tough Tuesday in Cincinnati?

The St. Louis Cardinals haven’t been shut down too often recently, but they will be hoping to bounce back from a rare rough night at the plate as they take on the Reds in the rubber game of their series in Cincinnati.

After racking up 13 runs and 14 hits in Monday’s series-opening rout of the Reds, the Cards were held to just one run, four hits, and one walk yesterday in a stellar performance by Cincinnati’s arms.

Their 5-1 loss was just their eighth defeat in their last 32 games, and they were held to fewer than five runs for just the tenth time in that 24-8 run.

How will they respond in this evening’s matchup? Trends are heavily in their favor.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds
• Venue & Location: Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2022
• Game Time: 6:4 p.m. Eastern Time

Cardinals vs. Reds Pitching Matchup

• St. Louis Cardinals: Jose Quintana (2022: 25 starts, 4-6, 3.45 ERA – 5 starts, 1-1, 3.28 ERA with St. Louis)
• Cincinnati Reds: Mike Minor (2022: 15 starts, 3-10, 6.10 ERA)

Cardinals vs. Reds Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from some of our other recommended sports betting sites may also appear in this article.

Moneyline

• St. Louis Cardinals -240
• Cincinnati Reds +194

Over/Under

• Over 9.5 (-106)
• Under 9.5 (-114)

Run Line

• St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 (-140)
• Cincinnati Reds +1.5 (+116)

Expect Cards to Bounce Back in a Big Way

While last night was pretty ugly for the Cardinals at the plate, it is highly, highly unlikely to be repeated in today’s game.

For the season, St. Louis is 34-20 (.630) following a loss, which ranks among the best in the league as it is. But of their last 11 games following a loss, they have won 10, and they have scored six or more runs in eight of those wins.

It doesn’t hurt to have a favorable pitching matchup as well. Minor is 0-7 with a 6.37 ERA in eight home starts, and he has given up four or more runs in five of his home starts and ten times in 15 starts overall.

Minor has won his last two starts and is coming off of his best outing of the season, as he allowed two runs, six hits, and no walks and struck out seven in seven innings at Washington last Friday.

But the Nationals are the worst team in the league, so there’s only so much that can be taken from that start.

In his lone start against the Cardinals this season, the veteran lefty allowed five hits, eight hits (two homers), and four walks in just four innings in a 6-3 loss at Great American Ball Park on July 23.

The numbers favor another productive plate performance for the Cardinals against Minor.

They hit better against lefties (.268) than righties (.256), and they hit better in games started by LHP (.260) than in games started by RHP (.258). Also, they score at a higher clip in games started by LHP (5.14 runs per game) than in games started by RHP (4.85).

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds Prediction and Picks

Cardinals vs. Reds Prediction: Cardinals to win

Cardinals vs. Reds Picks: Cardinals -1.5 (Best Value: -135 at Bovada Sportsbook), Cardinals/Reds over 9.5 (Best Value: -105 at Bovada Sportsbook) & Cardinals team total over 5.5 runs (Best Value: -114 at BetUS)

Quintana has given up four runs in each of his last two starts, so I feel like the Reds will be able to offer a little contribution to the over.

That said, the Cardinals might not need it, as the forecast calls for quite a few runs for St. Louis.

Here’s how a few notable hitters have fared against Minor:

• Paul Goldschmidt: 8 for 14 (.571), 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI
• Nolan Arenado: 4 for 13 (.308), 2B, HR, 3 RBI
• Tyler O’Neill: 6 for 9 (.667), 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI

If the top two NL MVP favorites and O’Neill, who homered twice in Monday’s rout, bounce back from a collective 1 for 10 showing, it will be a very unpleasant evening for Minor and a very pleasant evening for you if you jump on some player props at BetOnline or elsewhere.

Last night may have been rough for the Cardinals, but they will rebound resoundingly against Minor and the Reds. There are already plenty of compelling reasons to back St. Louis to cover the run line, but to add to the list, 18 of the wins in their 24-8 stretch have come by 2+ runs.

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