Cardinals vs Reds Expert Picks & Predictions (May 22)

• The Cardinals are +105 underdogs tonight versus the Reds
• St. Louis averages over 5 runs per game on the road
• See the Cardinals vs Reds expert picks and predictions for May 22, below

The St. Louis Cardinals (28-20) travel to Great American Ball Park to open a series against the Cincinnati Reds (26-24) tonight, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM EST. Online sportsbooks are siding with the Reds in the MLB odds, which I believe opens up value on the Cardinals in what should be a high-scoring affair.

Keep reading for my top Cardinals vs Reds expert picks and predictions for May 22nd, below.

Cardinals vs Reds Expert Picks

• Cardinals Moneyline (+105 at Bet365)
• Over 9.5 Runs (-105 at Bet365)

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My top two bets tonight are the Cards moneyline and over 9.5 runs. St. Louis boasts a staff ERA of 4.24 compared to Cincinnati’s elevated 4.71 mark. Both offenses feature similar overall metrics per the MLB starting lineups, with the Cardinals carrying a .709 OPS and the Reds sitting at .706. With Reds probable starter Chris Paddack logging only 5.0 innings of work this season (1.40 WHIP), the visiting lineup should find plenty of traffic on the basepaths.

Both pitching staffs carry ERAs north of 4.20. Cardinals probable pitcher Kyle Leahy brings a 1.55 WHIP to the mound. Dangerous hitters like Elly De La Cruz (.881 OPS) will have ample opportunities to manufacture runs. Also working in favor of the over is the hitter friendly confines of Great American Ball Park. Cincy’s stadium produces the second most runs above expectation in the MLB park factors, behind only Coors Field.

Kyle Leahy vs Chris Paddack Stats

Leahy holds a 5-3 record and a 3.94 ERA across 45.2 innings. Despite grinding out wins, his elevated WHIP and 4.84 FIP indicate high base traffic. Opponents hit .282 against him, and he relies on his defense, which could be problematic against a potent home offense.

Paddack allowed a .286 opponent batting average and a 1.40 WHIP in his lone start this season, while his strikeout rate was a modest 5.40 K/9.

Cardinals vs Reds Stats

Cincinnati boasts a blistering 90.1 mph average exit velocity at home, ranking second in baseball. Despite a .738 home OPS, they struggle to string hits together with a .225 batting average. St. Louis ranks 27th in road exit velocity (87.1 mph) but plates 5.09 runs per game away from home, ranking fourth. Expect the Cards road warrior offense to continue to roll, and win a high-scoring contest.

Cardinals vs Reds Odds

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Cardinals vs Reds Predictions

• Jordan Walker Over 1.5 Total Bases (-130 at DraftKings)

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In the MLB props market, I love Jordan Walker to record Over 1.5 Total Bases. He’s slugging .563 with 13 home runs this season. Cincinnati struggles to suppress extra-base hits per the MLB batter vs pitcher stats, while Walker enters play slashing .313/.387/.582 this month.