Cardinals vs Reds Odds, Lines, and Pick – April 4
- The Cincinnati Reds (1-1) host the St. Louis Cardinals (1-1) on Sunday
- Carlos Martinez and Jeff Hoffman are listed as the starting pitchers
- Read below for a preview and best bets for the game
It’s always fun to watch the game after a bench clearing altercation.
The Cardinals and Reds got into it on Saturday afternoon after Nick Castellanos lost his cool at home plate. Ultimately it ended without too much drama, but it set the table for the third game in the series on Sunday.
Cardinals vs Reds Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Run Line at FanDuel | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | -106 | -1.5 (+150) | O 9.5 (-118) |
| Cincinnati Reds | -110 | +1.5 (-182) | U 9.5 (-104) |
Odds as of April 3rd
Will there be any scores to be settled on Sunday? Quite possibly. But there’s also a game to be played and money to be made. Let’s take a look at three players to help settle on the best value bet on the board when it comes to the Cardinals vs Reds odds.
[promoted-sportsbook]A benches-clearing brawl broke out between the Reds and Cardinals 😱
Nick Castellanos was ejected. pic.twitter.com/U2ieMeXSgr
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 3, 2021
Arenado Adds Big Bat To Cardinals Lineup
When St. Louis acquired Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies they knew exactly what they were getting. He’s one of the premier players in the game on both offense and defense. In the last full season, he launched 41 home runs with 118 RBI. Of course it’s a small sample size, but after two games with the Cardinals he’s hitting .400 with a home run and three RBI.
Nolan Arenado's 1st HR as a Cardinal!#STLFLY pic.twitter.com/NTWW6bnOnn
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 3, 2021
In addition to the raw numbers, Arenado helps the batters around him in the lineup. Paul Goldschmidt is seeing more pitches to hit with Arenado on deck and the players lower in the lineup can’t be pitched around with runners on base. Expect Arenado to play a major factor, especially against a starting pitcher that doesn’t have much to offer in the way of elite stuff.
Surprising To See Hoffman In Starting Rotation
Few pitchers have had the run Jeff Hoffman has over the last five seasons. To be clear, that’s not meant to be a compliment. His last five ERAs are 9.28, 6.56, 9.35, 5.89 and 4.88. There’s no evidence to suggest that Hoffman has the ability to navigate his way through the tough Cardinals lineup.
Cardinals Career Stats vs Hoffman
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Edman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .571 |
| Nolan Arenado | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Paul DeJong | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .333 |
| Tyler O’Neill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Yadier Molina | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Dylan Carlson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Justin Williams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Carlos Martinez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
The first two games in this series have seen the teams combine for 32 runs. While it’s never smart to overreact to early season trends, it’s clear both offenses have started off hot. The only positive for Hoffman is the entire Cardinals lineup has only combined for 12 at bats against him. He may have a slight advantage his first time through the order, but it’s likely to even out as the batters see him a second time.
Martinez Looking To Bounce Back After Tough Year
Carlos Martinez had five starts last season and finished 0-3 with a 9.90 ERA and 2.10 WHIP. Who would have thought Hoffman would have the better numbers from last year with his sterling 9.28 ERA? The reality is there’s a track record of success from Martinez, but it’s still hard to trust him considering it’s been two calendar years since we last saw him pitching at an elite level.
Reds Career Stats vs Martinez
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesse Winker | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | .600 |
| Nick Castellanos | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .167 |
| Joey Votto | 29 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | .138 |
| Eugenio Suarez | 24 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 11 | .333 |
| Mike Moustakas | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .400 |
| Tucker Barnhart | 14 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | .286 |
| Jonathan India | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Tyler Naquin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Jeff Hoffman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
The Reds have seen a lot of Martinez during his career and they’ve had varying degrees of success. Jesse Winker has been the most impressive member of the Reds against Martinez, racking up four RBI and a .600 AVG in 10 at bats. Martinez won’t have the same surprise factor as Hoffman in the early going with most of the Reds lineup having a sizable history with him.
The Over 2-0 In Series So Far
The Over is sitting at 9.5 for the series finale and that’s the best play on the board. The previous two games both went over the number and Sunday should be no different. Hot hitters against pitchers searching for answers, the play is bet on the two offenses.
The Bet: Over 9.5 Runs (-118)
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Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
