Pirates vs Reds Odds, Lines and Spread – April 6th
- The Pirates and Reds play the second game of their series on Tuesday, April 6th
- First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm ET
- Read below for a betting preview, odds and prediction for Monday’s game
The Pirates and Reds meet for the second time this season at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday, April 6th. Trevor Cahill will get the ball for Pittsburgh. The veteran faces another MLB journeyman in Wade Miley.
Cincinnati started its season with a series win over the St Louis Cardinals. An underwhelming offseason has limited expectation around the Reds, but they are comfortable favorites in the Pirates vs Reds odds.
Pittsburgh are 1-3, following consecutive losses to the Chicago Cubs.
The Reds got the better of Pittsburgh in 2020, finishing 7-3 in the season series. If Cincinnati is to be a force in the National League Central in 2021, they will need similar dominance over the rebuilding Pittsburgh ball club.
Pirates vs Reds Odds
| Team | Runline | Moneyline at DraftKings | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +1.5 (-150) | +138 | O 9 (-120) |
| Cincinnati Reds | -1.5 (+125) | -159 | U 9 (-103) |
Odds as of April 6th
[promoted-sportsbook]Miley Looks to Bounce Back
The 2020 season wasn’t a good one for Miley. He managed just 14.1 innings for a 5.61 ERA. His Spring Training preparation was disrupted this year as a hamstring issue held him back. The Reds have kept Miley until the fifth starter to help build up some more arm strength, but with just eight preseason innings to his name, this is unlikely to be a deep start for the former Astro.
Derek Johnson confirms the Reds the pitching rotation for the first five games.
Game 1: Luis Castillo
Game 2: Tyler Mahle
Game 3: Jeff Hoffman
Game 4: José De León
Game 5: Wade Miley— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) March 31, 2021
It’s a while since Miley has been able to settle into pitching every fifth day. Finding that rhythm will be key in 2021, after managing only six appearances and 14.1 frames last season.
Two strong seasons with the Brewers and Astros in 2018 and 2019 give the Reds reason for optimism for Miley in 2021, and facing this Pirates line-up is a nice way to start his season.
Pirates Career Stats vs Miley
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Alford | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Wilmer Difo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Adam Frazier | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .667 |
| Erik Gonzalez | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 |
| Kevin Newman | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 |
| Gregory Polanco | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .444 |
Pittsburgh scored just four runs over the final two games of their series with the Cubs. They were held to five hits on Sunday.
Ke’Bryan Hayes, the most exciting hitter on the roster, has already landed on the IL. This is a lineup Miley can feel confident against, and despite spending time with the Brewers, this Pirates offense has limited experience facing him.
Short Cahill Outing Expected
A late arrival this offseason, Cahill barely had time to get ramped up in Spring Training. His 3.2 innings don’t tell us much about where he’s at heading into his first start of the campaign after throwing 25 good innings both as a starter and reliever for the Giants in 2020.
Nick Castellanos 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 sends a baseball into the left field seats. pic.twitter.com/8elvkeT6tC
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 6, 2021
Cahill is more likely to function as something like an opener on Monday. Pittsburgh has multiple long relief options to follow him. Chris Stratton, for instance, could be in line for a couple of innings after hurling just nine pitches on Sunday. Stratton had nine appearances of more than three outs from the bullpen last season.
Reds Career Stats vs Cahill
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucker Barnhart | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | .667 |
| Nick Castellanos | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Mike Moustakas | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .714 |
| Tyler Naquin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Nick Senzel | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Eugenio Suarez | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Joey Votto | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .200 |
| Jesse Winker | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
While Cahill is unlikely to go beyond three or four innings on Monday, a few of the Reds hitters will be pleased to see him on the mound. Mike Moustakas, in particular, has a good history against Cahill.
Cincinnati will also be delighted to have Nick Castellanos available – the former Tiger has appealed his suspension, keeping him in the line-up until there’s a resolution.
Overpowering Reds Offense
It’s been an explosive start to 2021 for this Reds offense. Their 32 runs scored in four games puts them behind only the Dodgers in runs per game. Only the Giants and Astros have hit more homers. They own a .899 OPS in an admittedly small sample.
Here's a gift for you, Reds Country. pic.twitter.com/kaA3ilf664
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 6, 2021
There will be runs in this game. Cincinnati is going to put up good offensive numbers against Cahill and whoever follows him. While there’s no guarantee Miley goes deep into the game, the Reds don’t need a spectacular performance from him.
The Reds covered on Monday. They are a good bet to do so again on Tuesday.
- Pick: Cincinnati Reds -1.5 (+125)
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Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
