In this article, we will formulate a Reds vs Cardinals prediction for this MLB game on Saturday, June 21, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.

Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview

The Cincinnati Reds (39-37, 19-20 Away) won four consecutive series after beating the Diamondbacks, Guardians, Tigers, and Twins. They were on a four-game winning streak, but lost Game 3 to Minnesota and opened this series against the Cardinals with a 6-1 defeat. Interestingly, the lone run for Cincy wasn’t scored by its players but resulted from St. Louis’ error. Brady Singer took the loss after allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in 6.0 innings.

This season, the Reds average 4.62 runs per game (10th in the MLB) on a .247/.321/.401 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Reds’ staff has a 3.90 ERA (16th) and 1.22 WHIP (10th). Elly De La Cruz leads the Reds with a .263 batting average, 16 home runs, and 50 RBI this season.

Brent Suter will take the mound for the Reds on Saturday. The 35-year-old left-hander has a 1-0 record in two starts this year with a 2.91 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 34.0 innings.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals (41-35, 23-14 Home) are on a four-game winning run after sweeping the Chicago White Sox and defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of this series. Before this positive stretch, the Cards were swept by the Blue Jays and lost a series to the Milwaukee Brewers. In last night’s 6-1 victory over the Reds, Andre Pallante got the win after allowing no runs on two hits with four strikeouts and one walk across 6.0 innings of work.

This year, the Cardinals average 4.72 runs per game (8th in the MLB) on a .257/.329/.395 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Cardinals’ staff has a 3.94 ERA (20th) and 1.26 WHIP (16th). Willson Contreras leads the Cardinals with a .249 batting average, ten home runs, and 50 RBI this season.

The projected starting pitcher for the Cardinals is Sonny Gray, who is 7-2 in 14 starts this season, with a 3.84 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 79.2 innings.

Why the Reds will cover

The Cardinals have lost four of their last five games as home favorites against the Reds following a home win.
The Reds have won six of their last eight games as underdogs.
The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in six of their last seven games as favorites against the Reds following a home win.
The Reds have covered the run line in five of their last six day games following a loss.

Total Runs Facts

Six of the Reds’ last seven day games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
Six of the Cardinals’ last seven games against NL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 20 of the Cardinals’ last 22 games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in six of the Reds’ last seven games as road underdogs.

Matchup/League Facts

The Cardinals rank T28th in the league for triples this season (4).
The Cardinals rank 3rd in the league for home runs allowed this season (62).
The Reds rank 8th in the league for hits allowed this season (586).
The Reds rank 9th in the league for doubles this season (126).

Reds vs Cardinals Prediction

The teams have traded wins in the past couple of years, each recording five of the previous ten H2H encounters. This season, the Cardinals lead 3-2, but on this occasion, I am going with the Reds to stay close and cover the run line. I know they will be using a bullpen day, but I expect Brent Suter to keep the Cards off the scoreboard in the opening two innings. Sonny Gray, on the other hand, is playing in a hot and cold form recently and will be looking to bounce back from his previous start, in which he allowed six runs in 4.1 innings against Milwaukee. Gray will surely display a better performance on Saturday, but I am backing the Reds to trouble him. Back Cincy to cover the run line.

Oliver Zivic's Pick: Reds +1.5