The Los Angeles Dodgers, currently sitting atop the standings with a gorgeous 29-16 record, are gearing up for a high-stakes showdown against the Cincinnati Reds (18-25) this Thursday at Chavez Ravine. As the two teams prepare to clash in beautiful Southern California, both teams need a statement win for the series. Dodger needs to roll over the Reds like it’s business as usual; the Reds must show their youth, and inexperience is just an obstacle to their talent.
Pitching Matchup:
In game one, we will get Tyler Glasnow (6-1, 2.53 ERA) taking on the Reds’ Brent Suter (0-0, 3.86 ERA). Glasnow has been a dominant force for the Dodgers this season, racking up 73 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings pitched, while Suter will be looking for his first win of the season for Cincinnati—full edge to Glasnow and the Dodgers for game one.
We will get James Paxton (5-0, 2.58 ERA) as the Reds will send Frankie Montas (2-3, 4.20 ERA) to the mound on Friday. With the Dodgers firepower, it will be a short day for Montas. Edge Paxton.
Saturday night will be the most interesting of the three matchups. The Dodgers Walker Buehler (0-1, 7.36 ERA) will make his second start after getting shelled against the Padres in his 2024 return to the mound. The Red’s young stud from Alabama, Graham Ashcraft (3-2, 4.12 ERA), will look to neutralize the Dodgers in hopes the Reds can put up some runs early. Buehler could return to his pre-injury form, but it’s leaning for Ashcraft in this one until we see something otherwise.
Dodgers Offensive Firepower
The Dodgers’ offensive prowess is well-documented, as they lead the majors in runs scored per game (5.3) and rank second in total home runs (59). Mookie Betts (.348 BA, 7 HR, 28 RBI), Shohei Ohtani (.364 BA, 12 HR, 30 RBI), and Freddie Freeman (.408 OBP, .455 SLG) headline a lineup that boasts a league-best .262 team batting average. The Reds’ pitching staff has too much to do with trying to slow any of them down. Shohei, Muncy, Smith, and Freeman will combine for an easy six homers in this series.
Reds Pitching Struggles
While the Dodgers’ offense is firing on all cylinders, the Reds have faced their fair share of pitching woes this season. Cincinnati’s team ERA of 4.01 ranks 16th in MLB, and their pitching staff has compiled the fifth-most strikeouts per nine innings (8.9) in the league.
Reds to Watch
Keep an eye on Jonathan India; he has been slugging .378 in his last 10 games, and seven RBIs this year have come at away parks. The other player to watch for the Reds is the electric unicorn, Elly De La Cruz, batting .258 with nine homers and a .857 OPS while leading the majors with 26 stolen bases in 30 attempts. Among current major leaguers, his sprint speed, according to Statcast, ranks second to only that of Bobby Witt Jr.
Dodgers vs. Reds Odds and Betting Lines
Bookmakers have installed the Dodgers as hefty -329 favorites for this contest, while the underdog Reds are pegged at +269 odds. The spread is set at Dodgers -1.5, and the total for the game is 7.5 runs. These odds reflect the Dodgers’ status as one of the league’s powerhouses, with their impressive 28-14 record when favored on the money line (winning 66.7% of those games). Conversely, the Reds have managed to win 8 of their 23 games as underdogs this season, a respectable 34.8% clip.
