The Cincinnati Reds will host the Kansas City Royals on Friday night to kick off a three-game interleague set. Cincinnati is on a roll, winning four consecutive games and making a serious push for the postseason.
In their recent victory against the Cardinals, the Reds dominated with a 9-2 win over their NL Central rivals. Jonathan India was outstanding, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs, spearheading their offensive onslaught.
Meanwhile, the Royals secured a 4-1 win over the Twins, with lefty Cole Ragans delivering a stellar performance, pitching seven innings and allowing just one earned run on five hits while striking out eight. New acquisition Paul DeJong also stepped up, going 3-for-3 with a double, a home run, and an RBI, driving the Royals’ offensive charge.
Both teams have playoff aspirations this season, and below, we will provide a complete betting analysis for Friday’s series opener.
Royals vs Reds Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | Money Line |
| Royals | +1.5 (-190) | Over 10 (-105) | +115 |
| Reds | -1.5 (+155) | Under 10 (-115) | -135 |
| **Odds Courtesy of BetMGM, Subject to Change** | |||
Royals vs Reds Match Details
- Fixture: Kansas City Royals vs. Cincinnati Reds
- Date and Time: 6:40 pm EST
- Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
Apex Tale of the Tape
| Royals | vs. | Reds |
| 66-55 | Record | 60-61 |
| 4.8 | Runs/G | 4.5 |
| .254 | BA | .230 |
| .311 | OBP | .303 |
| .416 | SLG | .402 |
| .727 | OPS | .705 |
| 132 | HR | 146 |
| 101 | SB | 168 |
| 3.88 | ERA | 3.84 |
| 1.27 | WHIP | 1.23 |
| 29 | Saves | 26 |
| .987 | Fielding % | .982 |
Key Stats
Royals
Kansas City’s right-hander, Michael Lorenzen, who pitched for the Reds from 2015-21, will face his former team on Friday. Since joining the Royals from the Texas Rangers, Lorenzen has been okay with his new club, allowing only four runs over ten innings in two starts. In his recent outing, he gave up three runs on six hits, including two home runs, in an 8-5 loss to the Cardinals.
The Royals’ bats have exceeded expectations this year. They are ranked eighth in batting average and 11th in runs per game.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is a superstar, and he enters Friday with a league-leading .349 batting average to go with 24 homers and 89 RBIs. The Royals have several other strong hitters, including veteran catcher Salvador Perez, but it’s been Witt Jr. who has propelled this offense.
The stage is set for an intense showdown as Lorenzen looks to defeat his former team, having pitched six innings and struck out three but conceded five earned runs on six hits earlier in the season against the Reds.
Reds
Martinez is set to take the mound for the Reds, making his eighth start of the season. He comes in with a 6-5 record and a 3.16 ERA, and he has racked up a decent 75 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings pitched.
Following an outstanding performance in his last outing, where he held the Milwaukee Brewers scoreless over seven innings, Martinez seems to be in a good rhythm right now. Despite the Reds’ 1-0 road loss, he only allowed one hit while striking out seven batters. He has now tossed 12 straight shutout frames and will look to keep it going on Friday.
Elly De La Cruz has been excellent this year, hitting .263 with 21 homers and 52 RBIs from the top of the lineup. The exciting young shortstop leads the majors with 59 steals, 21 more than the next guy on the list. As a team, the Reds rank just 25th in OBP and 28th in batting average, but they are outscoring their opponents by 27 runs over their past ten. They also rank in the top ten in homers, so we’ll see if they can stay hot on Friday.
Prediction
The Reds come in winners of four straight, as well as three in a row at home. Kansas City has been the better team overall, but they’ve lost each of Lorenzen’s past three outings. Martinez has been dominant this month, so take the Reds here to win and cover at plus money.
Final Pick:
Reds -1.5 (+155)
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About the Author
Lucas Abrenica has written over 2,000 sports betting articles over a four-year span. He’s a diehard sports and analytics enthusiast who is here to provide you with valuable insights daily.
