Category: MLB

Cincinnati Reds at Milwaukee Brewers odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s Cincinnati Reds at Milwaukee Brewers odds and lines, with MLB expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Cincinnati Reds (2-6) and Milwaukee Brewers (4-4) meet for the third game of a 4-game series Saturday. First pitch from American Family Field is at 7:10 p.m. ET (FS1). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s MLB odds around the Reds vs. Brewers odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Brewers lead 2-0

The Reds dropped their fourth straight game with a 3-2 loss at the Brewers Friday, despite rallying for 2 runs in the eighth inning after trailing 3-0. The defeat followed a stretch of 3 consecutive 1-0 losses for Cincinnati.

Brewers SP Tyler Alexander took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and 2B Brice Turang belted a 2-run homer in the fifth as Milwaukee won its fourth straight game, improving to .500 after an 0-4 start to the season.

Reds at Brewers projected starters

RHP Brady Singer vs. RHP Elvin Rodriguez

Singer (1-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his second start. He allowed 1 hit and 2 walks with 8 K’s in 7 shutout innings in a 14-3 home win vs. the Texas Rangers Monday.

  • 2024 road stats: 3-6, 4.16 ERA (84 1/3 IP, 39 ER), 1.43 WHIP, 8.4 K/9 in 16 starts with Kansas City Royals
  • Career vs. Brewers: 1-0, 1 home start (May 8, 2024), 5 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K in 6-4 win

Rodriguez (0-1, 9.00 ERA) makes his second start. He permitted 4 earned runs on 6 hits and 1 walk with 3 K’s in 4 IP in an 11-1 home loss vs. the Royals Monday.

  • Pitched past 2 seasons in Japan with Tokyo Yakult Swallows
  • Career MLB stats: 0-5, 9.49 ERA (37 IP, 39 ER), 1.73 WHIP, 8.0 K/9 in 6 starts and 3 relief appearances
  • Has never faced Reds

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Reds at Brewers odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:28 p.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Reds -102 (bet $102 to win $100) | Brewers -118 (bet $118 to win $100)
  • Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Reds -1.5 (+155) | Brewers +1.5 (-190)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 8 (O: -118 | U: -102)

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Reds at Brewers picks and predictions

Prediction

Reds 3, Brewers 2

Moneyline

The Reds have scored only 2 runs in their last 4 games, while the Brewers have allowed only 4 combined runs since Rodriguez’s last start Monday.

And while the Brewers have allowed only 4 runs in their last 4 games, they have scored 3 or fewer in 3 straight.

Singer was stellar in his season debut Monday, and despite 4 straight losses, Reds pitchers have allowed only 6 runs over that span.

BET REDS (-102).

Run line/Against the spread

With just 2 runs over their last 4 games, it’s hard to expect an offensive breakout from the Reds. But if Singer delivers a performance anything like his season debut, 3 runs might be all they need.

Between the Reds’ offensive struggles and the Brewers’ pitching over the last 4 games, a Cincinnati win by 2 or more runs feels like too much to ask.

PASS.

Over/Under

Singer and Rodriguez both saw double-digit totals in their season debuts.

None of the Brewers’ 4 straight wins have featured more than 7 total runs, with each game ending at 5 or fewer. The same holds true for the Reds during their 4-game skid. In fact, 5 of Cincinnati’s 8 games this season have stayed under 8 total runs.

BET UNDER 8 (-102).

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Pete Alonso returning to the Mets gives New York a huge break after ‘exhausting’ negotiations

Breathe, Mets fans. Pete Alonso is back.

The New York Mets have spent a lot of money this offseason, which made re-signing first baseman Pete Alonso a bit of an uphill climb.

Well, Mets fans can take a deep sigh of relief. Alonso is officially back.

News broke on Wednesday night that the franchise had re-signed its beloved first baseman to a two-year contract worth $54 million, per the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman. There will be an opt-out after the first year, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

After New York owner Steve Cohen gave a brutally honest assessment of where the “exhausting” negotiations were with Alonso’s camp last month, things worked out in the end between the Mets and their franchise star.

As the MLB sure looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers and everyone else right now, the Mets re-signing Alonso ensures they’ll at least be in the title conversation in 2025. The contract exhaustion was well worth it.

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Roger Goodell responded to the claim that the NFL and its refs have favored the Chiefs

Case closed!

When the Chiefs take the field at the Superdome for Super Bowl 59, they’ll be looking to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowl titles. And it’s safe to assume that much of the country will be rooting against that result.

Whether it’s been accurate or pure perception, fans have grown used to accusing the NFL of favoring Kansas City throughout the season and into this run to the Super Bowl. Despite failing to score 30-plus points in any game until the AFC Championship, the Chiefs finished the season with the AFC’s best record. And at times, it seemed like the Chiefs were beneficiaries of questionable calls.

On Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell met with the media for his annual press conference ahead of the Super Bowl, and he was indeed asked if the NFL really favors Kansas City amid this dynasty.

It’s safe to say that Goodell was having none of that, calling the theory “ridiculous.”

And while the theory is indeed exaggerated, the NFL has to be aware of the perception. At the very least, officiating will be a huge topic on Sunday — especially if a crucial call goes against the Eagles.

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Paul Skenes on why his reaction differed from Livvy Dunne’s when he won Rookie of the Year

Dunne said that Skenes is the king of nonchalant.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes was named National League Rookie of the Year but at the time, he did not have much reaction to the news.

His girlfriend, famous gymnast Livvy Dunne, had a different response to the accomplishment. Even though Skenes was a bit more deadpan, Dunne was a bit more enthusiastic.

She defended Skenes, explaining that he is the “king of nonchalant” and that is just his personality. Skenes also had an opportunity to defend himself as a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Here is what he said when asked about the emotions:

“I think people mistook the facial expressions and all that for indifference. I would say it was composure for sure.”

Skenes said that winning the award was one of the biggest honors of his first season in the big leagues.

He just simply has a different way of sharing his feelings, and that’s OK!

It is probably safe to assume that the 11-year-old child who recently found a rare Skenes rookie card probably had a bigger reaction, though, considering how much that memorabilia is worth.

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Junior Caminero’s minute-long home run trot in Dominican winter league is Hall of Fame worthy

Now THIS is how you celebrate a home run!

Junior Caminero just set the bar for home run trots so impossibly high after this.

Monday night saw the close of the LIDOM, a professional Dominican Republic winter league, with Game 7 of the championship between the Leones del Escogido and the Tigres del Licey. And in the top of the ninth inning with the game tied 5-5, Caminero — an infielder for the Tampa Bay Rays — absolutely blasted what would end up being the game-winning home run to deep center field to give the Leones del Escogido the lead.

What followed was nearly a minute of electric excellence, as Caminero put together a Hall of Fame worthy home run trot which included celebrating with his teammates before turning first base!

Talk about incredible stuff. Sadly, we’re unlikely to see something of this magnitude at the MLB level because even slightly longer than normal home run trots draw criticism from certain sections of baseball fans. Still, what a moment for Caminero!

Mets’ Steve Cohen gives ‘brutally honest’ Pete Alonso update on the ‘exhausting’ negotiations

Steve Cohen isn’t ruling out an Alonso reunion, but he’s not budging, either.

Pete Alonso remains one of the biggest free agents remaining this winter and Saturday gave New York Mets fans an opportunity to voice their concern that the team let him hit the market at all.

That led to a refreshingly candid moment from chairman Steve Cohen over his desire to bring the first baseman back to Queens — up to a certain price.

Mets fans got some face time with the owner during a panel session at the team’s Amazin’ Day fanfest at Citi Field. During the session, fans began chanting “we want Pete”, leading Cohen to provide an update on where things stand.

We’ve made a significant offer to Pete. And what David [Stearns] said is correct, he’s entitled to go out and explore his market, and that’s what he’s doing. Personally, this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation. Soto was tough, this is worse. A lot of it is, we made a significant offer. I don’t like the structures that are being presented back to us. I think it is highly asymmetric against us. I feel strongly about it.

“I will never say, no. There is always a possibility. The reality is, we’re moving forward. We continue to bring in players. As we continue to bring in players, the reality is, it becomes harder to fit Pete into a very expensive group of players we already have. That’s where we are.

“I’m being brutally honest. I don’t like the negotiations. I don’t like what’s been presented to us. Listen, maybe that changes. I’ll always stay flexible. If it stays this way, we may have to go forward with the existing players we have.”

Cohen said the disconnect between the Mets and Alonso is over contract structures that are “highly asymmetric against us” and that it’s getting harder and harder to justify fitting Alonso back on the roster as the team keeps building elsewhere.

Whether you agree with Cohen’s response or not, it’s always nice to see an owner forced to respond to fans. It’s also easy to believe Cohen when he says these talks have been tougher than the Juan Soto negotiations. There’s a years-long personal relationship with Alonso, who endeared himself to fans and delivered eyeballs when the team was in the dumps.

Of course, the subtext here is that Cohen was willing to spend more than the GDP of Sweden and get hit with a huge luxury tax to sign Soto while playing hardball with Alonso.

That can’t feel great for the Alonso camp to hear — even if deep down they already knew it.

Alonso has reportedly been in talks with the Toronto Blue Jays while the Mets are looking at internal options to replace the first baseman.

Ichiro Suzuki had a great message for the one baseball writer who left him off the Hall of Fame ballot

Ichiro remains the best.

There was no surprise when it was announced that Ichiro Suzuki would enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. What was a surprise, though, was that one baseball writer didn’t think Ichiro deserved first-ballot consideration.

The 10-time All-Star and two-time batting champion recorded 99.7 percent of the voting total because, astonishingly, one person did not vote for him. Now, MLB fans were justifiably in disbelief because there wasn’t a reasonable argument against Ichiro’s resume. But instead of leading the hunt for that rogue voter, Ichiro took a different approach.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday for his Hall of Fame press conference, the former Mariners legend said via his interpreter that he would love to invite that voter over for a chat at his house.

Ichiro said that he would like to have a drink with that voter, which was a gracious approach to someone who honestly deserves to have their voting privileges revoked.

To this day, Mariano Rivera is the lone player to reach the Hall of Fame through a unanimous vote. Ichiro surely deserved to be the first position player to have that honor.

But really, you have to love that response from Ichiro. It was all class.

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MLB fans were in disbelief that one voter left Ichiro Suzuki off their Baseball Hall of Fame ballot

ONE vote?!

By virtually every metric, Ichiro Suzuki is one of the best hitters to ever play baseball. He’s the kind of player who should require not as much as a second thought before checking his name on a Hall of Fame ballot.

Yet, for one voter, Ichiro wasn’t deserving of Hall of Fame induction in 2025.

On Tuesday, the former MVP, 10-time All-Star and two-time batting champion was named among the three-player class for the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was joined by CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. And while there was no surprise as to Ichiro’s induction, there total vote tally was a shock.

Ichiro fell one vote short of a unanimous first-ballot induction.

Now, baseball writers have been notorious with how they approach the Hall of Fame voting for years. Many have refused to consider any player with ties to PEDs, leaving stars like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens out of Cooperstown. And some hold a near-impossible standard for first-ballot candidates. In the voting history, only Mariano Rivera received a unanimous vote.

But really, Ichiro should have been right there with him. There is no argument whatsoever against his candidacy.

Baseball fans were furious to see that Ichiro fell short of unanimity and wanted that writer to come forward.

This was how Twitter/X reacted

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