Rays vs Reds Predictions, Odds & Spread (April 18)
By Chris Amberley in MLB Baseball
Published:
- Cincinnati is a -115 moneyline favorite in the Rays vs Reds odds on Tuesday
- Tampa Bay has lost three of four since its 13-0 start
- Check out the Rays vs Reds odds below, plus probable pitchers and predictions
The Rays (14-3, 4-3 away) were due for some negative regression after their historic start. That’s transpired over the last four days, as Tampa Bay has dropped three of its last four outings.
The Rays fell 8-1 to the Reds (7-9, 6-4 home) in the opening game of their three-game set on Monday, and online sportsbooks are expecting Tampa Bay’s skid to continue.
Cincinnati opened up as the small home chalk in Tuesday’s MLB odds, as they aim to inch closer to the .500 mark for the season.
Rays vs Reds Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays | -105 | -1.5 (+155) | O 9.5 (-115) |
| Cincinnati Reds | -115 | +1.5 (-180) | U 9.5 (-115) |
The Reds are currently -115 moneyline favorites, in a contest with a total of 9.5. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm ET at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH, with sunshine and 63 degree game time temperatures in the forecast.
Odds as of April 17 at FanDuel. Claim the FanDuel Sportsbook promo code.
Tampa Bay vs Cincinnati Probable Pitchers
Tampa Bay will turn to Taj Bradley to stop the bleeding on Tuesday. Bradley made his major league debut last week versus Boston, holding the Red Sox to three runs over 5 innings. The rookie struck out eight and walked only one, averaging over 96 mph with his fastball and inducing a 23% chase rate.
Taj Bradley racks up 8 K's and helps put @RaysBaseball in line for another 'W' in his Major League debut! pic.twitter.com/Xt6qunevo5
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 13, 2023
Bradley was a fifth round pick as a 17-year-old back in 2018, and started to flash some serious upside in 2021. He built on that last year between Double-A and Triple-A ball, posting a 2.57 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 133 innings of work.
Bradley vs Lodolo Stats
| 0-3 | Record | 2-0 |
| 4.76 | ERA | 2.12 |
| 1.24 | WHIP | 1.41 |
| .263 | OBA | .265 |
| 8.0 | SO/W Ratio | 4.5 |
The Reds will counter with Nick Lodolo, who’s posted some pretty impressive strikeout numbers of his own. The southpaw has fanned 27 batters over three starts, most recently sitting down 18 Philadelphia hitters over the course of back-to-back meetings with the Phillies.
Lodolo has allowed just four runs over 17 innings, thanks to an 88.5% strand rate. That’s well above his career average, and considering he’s averaging 1.7 baserunners per inning, he’s likely due for some negative regression in that department.
Tampa Bay vs Cincinnati Betting Stats
That regression could come on Tuesday, as Tampa Bay has had no trouble getting runners on base during their skid. Cashing them in however, has been a different story.
The Rays were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position in Monday’s loss, after going 2-for-14 in the first two games of their previous series in Toronto (both losses).
Tampa Bay still leads MLB in runs per game, averaging 7.12 per contest, and has slugged nine more homers than any other club. Their .896 OPS is .84 points higher than anyone else’s, while they’ve scored seven or more runs in nine of their past 10 wins.
We now return to your regularly scheduled programming pic.twitter.com/xCo7SLF4vD
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 16, 2023
Cincinnati meanwhile, has flashed a high ceiling offensively as well as of late, scoring 27 runs in their last three victories. They’re likely to be down a couple key pieces from their lineup on Tuesday, but that didn’t seem to bother them on Monday.
Joey Votto continues to rehab his injured shoulder, and has yet to make his 2023 debut. Rookie Spencer Steer (quad) sat out the first game of this series, and is considered day-to-day. Steer currently leads the team in batting with a .320 average, to go along with a pair of home runs and 6 RBI.
Tampa Bay vs Cincinnati Predictions
The Rays are going to regain the offensive prowess that’s made them a top-seven World Series odds contender, and what better time to do it than against a left-hander like Lodolo. Tampa Bay has crushed lefties so far this season, posting a slash line of .288/.335/.534.
They can field a starting roster of primarily right handed batters in Tuesday’s MLB lineups which should give Lodolo problems. The 25-year-old has yielded a batting average that’s .19 points higher to righties than lefties this season, and a OBP that’s .39 points higher.
When he exits the game, the Rays will have a significant advantage over the Reds bullpen as well. Cincinnati relievers own a 4.47 ERA and a 68% strand rate this season, both bottom-11 marks in MLB.
Pick: Tampa Bay Rays Over 4.5 Runs and TB Win (+135)
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
