The Cincinnati Reds are hanging on by a thread in the National League wild-card race as they trail the St. Louis Cardinals for the second spot by six games with six remaining in the 2021 MLB season. Cincinnati kept alive its slim hopes by defeating Washington 9-2 on Sunday for its third consecutive victory. The Reds look to avoid elimination when they take on the NL Central-rival Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday afternoon in their final home game of the year. The contest was rescheduled after the teams’ meeting last Wednesday was postponed due to rain.
First pitch from Great American Ball Park is set for 1:10 p.m. ET. Cincinnati is a -160 favorite (risk $160 to win $100) on the money line in the latest Reds vs. Pirates odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total runs scored is 9.5. Before locking in any Pirates vs. Reds picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
This model, which simulates every pitch of every game 10,000 times, is 193-164 on top-rated MLB money-line picks through 25 weeks in the 2021 season, returning over $500. It also had a banner 2019 season, the league’s last full schedule, returning more than $1,400 on its top-rated money-line and run-line MLB picks. Anyone following it has seen some huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Reds vs. Pirates and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Now, here are several MLB odds and betting trends for Pirates vs. Reds:
- Reds vs. Pirates money line: Cincinnati -160, Pittsburgh +150
- Reds vs. Pirates run line: Cincinnati -1.5 (+115)
- Reds vs. Pirates over-under: 9.5 runs
- CIN: The Reds are 2-5 in their last seven games against NL Central rivals
- PIT: The Pirates are 5-17 in their last 22 contests at Cincinnati
Featured Game | Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Why you should back the Reds
Cincinnati is coming off its first series win since it swept a four-game set against Miami from Aug. 19-22. The Reds had lost eight straight series and split their abbreviated two-game set against Pittsburgh last week before taking three of four versus Washington. After being held to two runs by the Nationals in Thursday’s series-opening loss, Cincinnati scored a total of 24 in winning the final three games – including nine in Sunday’s finale.
Nick Castellanos has been flexing his muscles of late, going deep in three straight contests. The 29-year-old outfielder, who tops the Reds with a .309 batting average, has belted a career-high 32 homers this season and is one behind Joey Votto for the team lead. Castellanos has registered 10 RBIs over his last seven contests to pull even with Votto for first on the club with 92.
Why you should back the Pirates
Pittsburgh avoided a four-game sweep with an impressive 6-0 victory at Philadelphia on Sunday as Max Kranick and four relievers combined on a six-hitter. The Pirates set the tone early as Cole Tucker deposited the first pitch of the game over the wall in right field for his first home run of the season. Yoshi Tsutsugo and Ke’Bryan Hayes drove in two runs apiece for Pittsburgh, which scored five times over the final three innings to secure just its second win in seven contests.
Tucker finished with two hits on Sunday and has recorded at least one in seven of his last nine games. Hayes continued swinging a hot bat, going 2-for-2 after entering the contest as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. The 24-year-old son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes has hit safely in six of his last seven games and recorded five multi-hit performances over his past 11 contests.
How to make Pirates vs. Reds picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under the total, projecting 9.4 combined runs. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the model’s MLB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Reds vs. Pirates? And which side has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.
