Cincinnati Reds vs Cleveland Indians Betting Preview (August 9): Reds Look for Sixth Straight to Start the Week

We just had a great MLB weekend. The Mets started in first in the NL East, but finished it in third place in the division, Toronto made up ground with a 3-1 series win against the Red Sox and Cincinnati swept the Pirates to stay relevant in the NL.

Cincinnati has a great chance to keep the pressure on the teams ahead of them with this trip to struggling Cleveland. Is the battle for Ohio really a thing in baseball though? I am not sure.

Cleveland won yesterday but they have the same number of wins as Detroit. I definitely would not have put a wager on that heading into the season. Their pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries and they don’t have the depth, or the lineup, to keep up.

MLB Betting Matchup: Cincinnati Reds (61-51) vs Cleveland Indians (54-55), Bally Sports Great Lakes, 6:10 PM ET

Probable Pitchers

• Cincinnati Reds: Luis Castillo (6-10, 4.09 ERA)
• Cleveland Indians: Sam Hentges (1-4, 7.86 ERA)

Cincinnati Reds vs Cleveland Indians Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Reds -175, Indians +155
• Total: OVER 9.5 (-110), Under 9.5 (-110)
• Run Line: Reds -1.5 (-112), Indians +1.5 (-108)

Odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook as of Monday, August 9, at 9:21 am ET. For MLB betting odds for today’s other matchups, check out our MLB odds.

Cincinnati Reds vs Cleveland Indians MLB Betting Consensus

• Moneyline: Reds 75%, Indians 25%
• Total: Over 75%, Under 25%
• Run Line: Reds 25%, Indians 75%

Cincinnati Reds vs Cleveland Indians August 9 Betting Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More

Cincinnati Reds vs Cleveland Indians Betting Outlook

Reds on a Run and Need to Keep Pushing

Cincinnati comes into the week with five straight wins. As a result, it does not look like a foregone conclusion that the NL wild-card spots are going to be divvied up out West. They have also closed on the Milwaukee Brewers and are just 5 games back in the NL Central. With outfielder Nick Castellanos back and the pitching improving, they seem to have the ability to make it a race down the stretch. They have to win the games they are supposed to though.

The thing that has been holding them back all season is the bullpen, which is ranked 26th according to WAR. When they traded closer Raisel Iglesias this offseason, it seemed to make a lot of sense. But this group has been struggling with roles and effectiveness. It puts a lot of pressure on the offense to build big leads, that's for sure.

Cleveland is Dead in the Water

The Indians hoped that having a top-five starting staff could keep them competitive after trading away Francisco Lindor. Even though it looks like they have won that trade so far with replacement Amed Rosario outplaying Lindor, the team has suffered so many injuries it has been hard to compete. This team has speed, especially with the addition of former Astros outfielder Myles Straw.

Cleveland’s challenge is that with Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale hurt they are playing from behind so much of the time. They have gone from having one of the best rotations in the league to one of the worst. They are just 20th in quality starts this season. The offense is more suited to manufacturing runs than hitting homers, so coming back in games has been difficult.

Luis Castillo Home vs Away

• Home: 4-5, 3.72 ERA, 67.2 IP, 73 Ks, 29 BBs
• Away: 2-5, 4.50 ERA, 60 IP, 55 Ks, 25 BBs

Sam Hentges Home vs Away

• Home: 1-1, 6.38 ERA, 18.1 IP, 24 Ks, 9BBs
• Away: 0-3, 8.89 ERA, 26.1 IP, 21 Ks, 17 BBs

The mound matchup is a total mismatch tonight. Luis Castillo got off to a terrible start but over the last couple of months has been very effective. His road splits don’t look great, but again, a lot of that damage came from early in the season. This is a favorable matchup. For Hentges, he might have a bright future ahead of him as Cleveland is good at developing arms. This season looks lost though.

Reds vs. Indians Best Bet

Reds Run Line

The Reds are better in every way right now. I was leaning Moneyline for sure here but wanted the better payoff. Luis Castillo should be more than able to keep this lineup in check and the predominantly righty-hitting Reds should enjoy taking swings against the lefty Hentges.

MLB Betting Matchups: Monday, August 9

MLB Betting Matchup: Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs, Marquee Sports Network, 8:05 PM ET

Probable Pitchers

• Milwaukee Brewers: Freddy Peralta (8-3, 2.21 ERA)
• Chicago Cubs: Alec Mills (5-4, 4.41 ERA)

Milwaukee Brewers vs Chicago Cubs August 9 Betting Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More

MLB Betting Matchup: Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins, Bally Sports North, 8:10 PM ET

Probable Pitchers

• Chicago White Sox: Lucas Giolito (8-8, 3.98 ERA)
• Minnesota Twins: Beau Burrows (0-0, 11.00 ERA)

Chicago White Sox vs Minnesota Twins August 9 Betting Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More

MLB Betting Matchup: New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals, Bally Sports Kansas City, 8:10 PM ET

Probable Pitchers

• New York Yankees: Jameson Taillon (7-4, 4.04 ERA)
• Kansas City Royals: Carlos Hernandez (3-1, 4.58 ERA)

New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals August 9 Betting Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More

MLB Betting Matchup: Miami Marlins vs. San Diego Padres, Bally Sports San Diego, 10:10 PM ET

Probable Pitchers

• Miami Marlins: Zach Thompson (2-4, 2.53 ERA)
• San Diego Padres: Joe Musgrove (7-7, 2.87 ERA)

Miami Marlins vs San Diego Padres August 9 Betting Matchup: Picks, Odds, Stats and More