The Cincinnati Reds (60-93) and Pittsburgh Pirates (56-97) meet Monday for a 6:35 p.m. ET first pitch to open a 3-game series at PNC Park. Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the Reds vs. Pirates with MLB picks and predictions.
Season series: Pittsburgh leads 9-7
Cincinnati has lost 3 of its last 4 games and was swept in a 4-game home series by Pittsburgh Sept. 12-14.
The Pirates are in last place in the NL Central Division and are 7-15 so far in September.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Reds at Pirates Projected Starters
RHP Chase Anderson vs. RHP Roansy Contreras
Anderson (2-3, 5.21 ERA) has appeared in 6 games and made 5 starts. He has a 1.11 WHIP, 5.2 BB/9 and 8.5 K/9 through 19.0 IP.
- Is 2-0 in his last 2 starts with 7 K over 10 IP
- Allowed 1 ER with 4 K across 5 IP in his last start against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday
Contreras (5-5, 3.68 ERA) has appeared in 19 games and made 16 starts. He has a 1.30 WHIP, 3.8 BB/9 and 8.6 K/9 through 88 IP.
- Is 2-3 with a 3.55 ERA (38 IP, 15 ER) with 30 H allowed across his last 5 starts
- Allowed 6 ER on 6 H and 2 BB with 10 K across 4 2/3 IP in his last start at the New York Yankees Wednesday
Reds at Pirates odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 12:10 p.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Reds +125 (bet $100 to win $125) | Pirates -155 (bet $155 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Reds +1.5 (-175) | Pirates -1.5 (+140)
- Over/Under (O/U): 7.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!
Reds at Pirates picks and predictions
Prediction
Pirates 6, Reds 4
Money line
These teams are not only the worst in the NL Central but also amongst the worst in the league. With no major implications on the line as both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs, I do not expect either to be playing significantly harder than normal.
I would PASS on a money line bet in a game with no clear favorite.
Run line/Against the spread
When these teams have played each other this season the margin of victory is often north of 4 runs. Because of this, and the fact that Pittsburgh is starting one of their better pitchers whereas Cincinnati is doing the opposite, I would TAKE PITTSBURGH -1.5 (+140).
Over/Under
The Pirates swept the Reds and only scored fewer than 6 runs once throughout the entire series when these teams met in early September. Against one of the Reds’ worst pitchers I would bet that the Pirates are able to put up at least 6 runs Monday. The OVER 7.5 (-117) is the 2nd strongest play in this game.
Want action on this game or any other MLB contests? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @payton_shanks on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional MLB coverage:
BaseballHQ Fantasy Baseball
BaseballPress.com: Your source for every MLB lineup[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]