The in-state rivals Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians wrap up their quick two-game interleague series from Cleveland on Wednesday afternoon as both sides look to claim the Ohio Cup. The Reds will add the DH for the game but are underdogs on the MLB Betting Lines.
How to Bet Reds vs Indians MLB Week 11 Lines & Game Info
- When: Wednesday, 1:10 PM ET
- Where: Progressive Field
- Probable pitchers (away/home): Anthony DeSclafani/Zach Plesac
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
Athletics vs Rays MLB Odds, Preview & Prediction
Why Bet on Cincinnati?
The schedule really gets tough now for Cincinnati, which might push the team to be a seller ahead of the trade deadline. Over the next two weeks, the Reds will play 12 straight games against teams over .500. They have the Indians, then the Rangers, Astros, and Brewers. Between now and the trade deadline, the Reds will play 33 of their 42 games against teams currently over .500. Of the nine games against teams below .500, four are against the Cardinals and three against the Pirates, both teams ahead of the Reds in the NL Central standings.
Derek Dietrich has been one of the best free agent signings of the offseason. The left-handed hitter has totaled a career-high 17 home runs, as well as 37 RBIs this season and has done so while playing for a $2 million salary; Dietrich has more than made up for the absence of 2018 All-Star second baseman Scooter Gennett, who has yet to play this season due to injury.
Jose Iglesias is hitting .291/.330/.413 with four home runs and 22 RBIs, playing his typical superb defense at shortstop. Iglesias’ average is the highest since he hit .300 during his 2015 All-Star season, while his .743 OPS would be a new career high if he can keep it at that level all season. Not bad for a guy who signed a minor-league deal in February.
Anthony DeSclafani (2-3) allowed one run on six hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings Thursday in a no-decision against the Cardinals. DeSclafani gave up his lone run in the third inning, but his offense didn’t give him enough run support to come away with the win. The right-hander had surrendered three or more runs in each of his last five outings, so Thursday’s outing was certainly a step in the right direction. He’s posted a 4.70 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 62 strikeouts over 59.1 frames.
DeSclafani has limited experience vs. Cleveland, going 1-1 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts. Although he’s given up three homers over 19 innings against the Indians, he’s also struck out 13 with only four walks.
Team Stats
Offense
- Runs: 4.22
- Hits: 7.80
- Walks: 3.08
- Strike Outs: 8.72
Defense
- Runs: 3.72
- Hits: 7.77
- Walks: 3.20
- Strike Outs: 9.66
Why Bet on Cleveland?
The Indians have been maddeningly inconsistent since opening day. They’ve won series from AL powers Boston, Houston, New York and Minnesota but struggled against the White Sox (5-7) and Royals (0-3). Cleveland’s .227 batting average is the American League’s second-lowest and only Detroit and Toronto have scored fewer runs.
What’s going on with former All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez? In a span of 102 games, beginning Aug. 18, 2018, Ramirez fell from being one of the five to 10 best players to the worst hitter in baseball, at least by batting average among regulars. The Cleveland third baseman has batted .189 over those 102 games. No one else with at least 250 at-bats has been worse. In addition, his defense has collapsed in that same span.
From Opening Day 2017 to Aug. 18, 2018, Ramirez pulled 42 fastballs for home runs. Nobody else turned on more than 33 fastballs for home runs. Since then Ramirez has pulled just four fastballs for home runs. He hasn’t hit a homer of any kind since May 16.
Francisco Lindor is batting .341 with eight doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 17 RBI since May 7, the 4th-best batting average in the AL and 7th-best mark in the Majors over that stretch. He has reached base safely 59 times since May 7, 2nd-most in the Majors in that stretch behind the Angels’ Mike Trout (64), while his .415 on-base percentage is 3rd-best in the AL.
Zach Plesac (1-1) will look to continue his hot start to the year against the Reds. In three starts, the 24-year-old has logged a 1.86 ERA with a 0.88 WHIP. Plesac picked up the win in Friday’s 5-2 victory over the Yankees, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out five. In a nice bit of symmetry, the young right-hander’s first MLB win came against the Yankees and his first MLB loss was to the White Sox, mirroring the first decisions his uncle Dan Plesac recorded in 1986.
Team Stats
Offense
- Runs: 4.14
- Hits: 7.35
- Walks: 3.71
- Strike Outs: 8.61
Defense
- Runs: 4.21
- Hits: 7.97
- Walks: 2.88
- Strike Outs: 9.32
Reds vs Indians MLB Week 11 Betting Trends
- Reds are 2-5 in DeSclafani’s last 7 starts with 5 days of rest
- Indians are 7-2 in their last 9 interleague games vs. a right-handed starter
- Reds are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games against Cleveland
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati’s last 6 games on the road
- Indians are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland’s last 5 games against an opponent in the National League
Expert Final Score Prediction for Reds vs Indians
Cincinnati Reds 3 – Cleveland Indians 4
