Mets vs Reds Odds, Betting Lines, and Probable Pitchers (July 21)
- The New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds wrap up a three-game set on Wednesday, first pitch 12:35 PM ET
- Marcus Stroman gets the start for the Mets, while the Reds counter with Jeff Hoffman
- Read on for the odds, preview, and prediction
The New York Mets (49-43, 21-29 away) will be looking to bounce back from a 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds (49-46, 24-24 home) as they face off in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon at the Great American Ball Park. First pitch is scheduled for 12:35 PM ET.
In the last nine meetings between these two ballclubs dating back to 2019, the Mets have gone 5-4. However, they’ve played extremely poor baseball on the road in 2021.
Mets vs Reds Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Mets | -135 | -1.5 (+115) | O 10.5 (-120) |
| Cincinnati Reds | +115 | +1.5 (-135) | U 10.5 (+100) |
Odds as of July 20th at DraftKings.
Probable Pitchers
Marcus Stroman will get the ball for the Mets, who desperately need a quality start. Thankfully, the righty has been one of their more reliable arms this season. He currently sports a 2.79 ERA and has made a team-high 19 starts. Stroman’s 6-8 record doesn’t reflect how efficient he’s been for this staff, but with the injuries piling up for New York, they will need a solid outing from the 30-year-old.
Benches cleared in Mets-Pirates after Marcus Stroman and John Nogowski exchanged words. pic.twitter.com/iSTdJDRIBY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 17, 2021
Stroman has a career 3.38 ERA in two starts against the Reds, with their current lineup hitting just .209 off him. After going just five innings in his last three appearances, the Mets will be hoping Stroman can give them some longevity on Wednesday.
Stroman vs Hoffman
| 6-8 | Record | 3-4 |
| 2.79 | ERA | 4.61 |
| 103.1 | Innings Pitched | 41 |
| 86 | K’s | 39 |
| 24 | BB | 26 |
Jeff Hoffman hasn’t made a start for Cincinnati since May 26th after going on the shelf with a shoulder injury. He struggled as well, posting a dismal 4.61 ERA in just 10 outings. Control has been an issue for the former first-round pick, walking 26 batters in only 41 innings. He will need to get ahead of these Mets hitters because they have the ability to do some damage when given the opportunity.
Jeff Hoffman discusses his imminent return to the @Reds' rotation. pic.twitter.com/E7zX3CXMRj
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) July 17, 2021
In six appearances against New York, he’s been hit around. Hoffman has a 7.43 ERA in 23 innings of work. However, this current lineup isn’t too familiar with the right-hander. If he can put together a quality start on Wednesday, Hoffman could potentially find himself back in the rotation.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Mets Batters | Batting Average vs Hoffman | Reds Batters | Batting Average vs Stroman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Alonso | .200 | Aristides Aquino | .000 |
| Michael Conforto | .222 | Tucker Barnhart | .000 |
| J.D. Davis | .300 | Nick Castellanos | .143 |
| Jeff McNeil | .667 | Kyle Farmer | .500 |
| Tomas Nido | .000 | Mike Freeman | .000 |
| Brandon Nimmo | .333 | Tyler Naquin | .571 |
| Kevin Pillar | .000 | Eugenio Suarez | .400 |
| Dominic Smith | .1000 | Joey Votto | .200 |
| Jonathan Villar | .200 | Jesse Winker | .000 |
None of these Mets bats have faced Hoffman often, but they have been swinging it well lately. New York has scored 18 runs in their last two games against the Reds while clubbing eight homers in the series thus far.
Since the All-Star break, the offense has come alive. Pete Alonso and Michael Conforto are both raking, with the latter going deep twice in the 15-11 series opener win versus Cincinnati. With Hoffman returning from a prolonged stint on the IL, the Mets will have a good opportunity to jump on him early and get to the Reds bullpen.
Cincy is struggling lately, winning just one of their last five games. Joey Votto and Aristides Aquino propelled their club to a big win on Tuesday though with back-to-back bombs in the third inning against a depleted Mets staff.
Back-to-back pitches, back-to-back bangs. pic.twitter.com/i3pHaQO8Ju
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 21, 2021
Stroman has enjoyed success against the Reds lineup, but after finally ending their losing streak, Cincinnati could come out of the gates firing. They’re one of the better offensive teams in the big leagues with a .247 team average while scoring the sixth-most runs per game at 4.9. With Stroman failing to get past the fifth inning in three consecutive outings, the Reds will be looking to get him out of the game early.
Mets vs Reds Pick
While Stroman hasn’t pitched as deep into ballgames as Luis Rojas would like, he has still been consistent for the Mets. The former Blue Jay doesn’t give up a lot of runs and always brings a competitive attitude to the mound. Hoffman on the other hand will likely be rusty after not pitching at the major league level for almost two months.
With all of this in mind, New York is a good bet to cover the spread.
Pick: Mets -1.5 (+115)
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
