National League Central rivals clash Monday, April 28, when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Cincinnati Reds, with the first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. ET on MLB Network. The Cardinals have lost seven of their last 10 games coming into the first matchup of this four-game series, while the Reds have won four in a row and 10 of their last 15. St. Louis will send Andre Pallante to the mound, while Cincinnati counters with Nick Martinez.
St. Louis has an abysmal 2-11 record on the road to start this season, with the only wins coming against the Pirates and Braves. The Cardinals are hitting just .239 away from Busch Stadium, compared to a .289 average at home. They strike out 9.23 times per game on the road against just 6.73 times per game at home. Monday could be a great spot for St. Louis' lineup to overcome some of its road woes, as the matchup with Martinez is favorable.
The Reds starter is 0-3 on the season with a 5.40 ERA and has conceded at least five hits in each of his starts. He has never made it past the sixth inning in four starts, and 12 of the 13 runs he has given up have been earned. The Over/Under for Cardinals team hits on BetMGM is set at 8.5, with the Under slightly favored. St. Louis' team strikeouts line is set at 7.5, with the Over favored at -135. Martinez's strikeouts line is set at 4.5, with the Under priced at -118. His hits allowed prop is 5.5, with the Under slightly favored there at -135.
The Reds are -119 favorites (risk $119 to win $100) on the money line in the latest SportsLine consensus odds, while the Cardinals are +100 (risk $100 to win $100) underdogs. The total comes in at 9, with the Over priced at -120.
Let's check out the SportsLine model's projections for Cardinals-Reds.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS at CINCINNATI REDS | 4/28 | 6:40 p.m. ET
Money line
Pick: Reds -119
Cincinnati wins in 58% of simulations, bringing value at these odds
Run line
Pick: Reds +1.5 (-187)
Cincinnati covers in 72% of simulations, bringing value at these odds
Over/Under
Pick: Over 9
The Over hits in 47% of simulations
Projected score: Reds 5.0, Cardinals 4.6
