Cincinnati Reds Vs. Atlanta Braves (4/7/22) Starting Lineup, Betting Odds, Prediction
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The Cincinnati Reds finished third in the National League Central last season with a record of 83-79. David Bell is 189-195 in three seasons as the Reds manager: leading the club to the playoffs in 2020. The Atlanta Braves are the defending World Series champions as we head into the 2022 season. In 2021, the Braves were 88-73 winning the National League East. In the playoffs they beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the Division Round (3-1), the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship series (4-2) then the Houston Astros, 4-2 in the World Series. In six seasons as the Braves manager, Brian Snitker has a record of 441-390: winning the National League East the last four seasons.
Cincinnati Reds Vs. Atlanta Braves Betting Odds
Cincinnati is 0-4 in their last four games as an underdog. The Reds are 6-1 in their last seven Thursday games. Cincinnati is 9-3 in their last 12 meetings vs. National League East opponents. Under is 5-1 in the Reds last six games as an underdog. Cincinnati is +15000 to win their first World Series title since 1990. Atlanta is 5-0 in their last five games as a home favorite. The Braves are 4-1 in their last five meetings with the Reds in Atlanta. Dating back to last season, under is 4-0-1 in the Braves last five games vs. a right-handed starter. Under is 5-0 in Atlanta’s last five games during game one of a series. The Braves are +950 to win back-to-back World Series crowns.
Cincinnati Reds Starting Lineup
- Jonathan India, 2B
- Tyler Naquin, DH
- Tommy Pham, LF
- Joey Votto, 1B
- Tyler Stephenson, C
- Mike Moustakas, 3B
- Kyle Farmer, SS
- Nick Senzel, CF
- Jake Fraley, RF
- Tyler Mahle, RHP
Cincinnati Reds Vs. Max Fried (L)
Joey Votto is the Reds leader and arguably the best player on their roster. In 129 games, Votto smacked 36 homers, drove in 99 runs, .563 slugging percentage and an OPS of .938. The first baseman had 252 total bases with an on-base percentage of .375 last year. The long-time Red has a lifetime batting average of .302 with 2,027 hits, 331 home runs and 1,065 runs batted in. Against left-handed pitching last season, he hit .215 in 166 plate appearances with 11 home runs. Votto only had three at-bats in 2021 vs. Atlanta’s Max Fried with one hit.
Jonathan India hit .269 with 21 home runs and 69 runs batted last season. The 2021 Rookie the Year had a .459 slugging percentage and an OPS of .835 in his first year in the big leagues. Against left-handed pitching, India hit .297 with three home runs and an OPS of .825. Expected to continue as the Reds leadoff hitter in 2022, India did not have any at-bats against the Braves lefty, Max Fried. Mike Moustakas is expected to man the hot corner for the Reds in 2022. In his 11th season last year, the veteran battled through injury, hitting .208 with six home runs and 22 runs batted in. Against left-handed pitching, he had 42 plate appearances with an OPS of .329. Moustakas was hitless in two at-bats against Max Fried in 2021. Tyler Naquin hit .270 with 19 long balls, 70 runs batted in while slugging .477 last year. The Reds right fielder, hit .197 with one home run in 70 plate appearance against lefties in 2021. Facing the Braves Max Fried last season, Naquin was hitless in three at-bats.
Left-hander Max Fried will get the starting nod for the defending World Series champions in the season opener. In 2021, the first-round pick in the 2012 draft was 14-7 with an ERA of 3.04 in 28 starts: leading the league in shutouts with two. The 28-year-old had a WHIP of 1.087 while striking out 158 hitters in 165.2 innings last year.
Atlanta Braves Starting Lineup
- Eddie Rosario, RF
- Ozzie Albies, 2B
- Matt Olson, 1B
- Austin Riley, 3B
- Marcell Ozuna , LF
- Adam Duvall, CF
- Alex Dickerson, DH
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Travis d’Arnaud, C
- Max Fried, LHP
Atlanta Braves Vs. Tyler Mahle (R)
The Braves have a solid lineup that will once again keep them at the top of the National League East standings (and in contention to repeat as champions). Atlanta acquired star first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics as the replacement for long-time star first baseman Freddie Freeman. Olson from Atlanta, Georgia, hit .271 while smashing 39 home runs and driving in 111 runs for Oakland in 2021. The first baseman with career WAR of 18.1 is a lifetime .252 hitter with 517 hits, 142 home runs, 373 runs batted in and a .511 slugging percentage. Against right-handed pitching in 2021, he hit .271 in 419 plate appearances with 17 long balls and 61 runs driven in.
Atlanta’s three other regular infielders (joining Olson on the diamond) are terrific. Ozzie Albies smacked 30 home runs with 106 runs batted in, slugging .488 with an OPS of .799 in 2021. Albies hit 21 home runs off right-handed pitching last year while slugging .454. Against the Reds, Tyler Mahle, the Braves second baseman had two doubles and an RBI in nine at-bats last season. Austin Riley was simply awesome last year. In 2021, Riley hit .303 with 33 homers, 107 runs batted in while slugging .531. Against right-handed pitching last season, the Braves third baseman hit .312 with 30 home runs and 89 runs batted in with an OPS of .941. In three at-bats last season against Cincinnati’s Tyler Mahle, Riley had two hits including a home run. Georgia native, Dansby Swanson slugged .449 while smashing 27 home runs and knocking in 88 runs for Atlanta in 2021. The shortstop had one hit in six at-bats against Reds starter Tyler Mahle last year.
2021 playoff hero, Eddie Rosario returns to the Braves and will hit leadoff and play right field. In 33 regular season games with Atlanta in 2021, he hit .271 with seven home runs, 16 runs batted in with an OPS of .903. Against right-handed pitching last season, Rosario hit .256 with 12 home runs, 39 runs batted in and .466 slugging percentage. He’s a terrific table setter for the Braves lineup.
Tyler Mahle will start the season opener for the Cincinnati Reds in 2022. Last season, he was 13-6 with an ERA of 3.75 in 33 starts. In 2021, Mahle had a WHIP of 1.23 while striking out 210 hitters in 180 innings. The right-hander has a lifetime record of 26-31 with an ERA of 4.34 in 489.1 innings. Mahle lost his only start of 2021 against the Braves, allowing six hits and four earned runs in six innings.
Cincinnati Reds Vs. Atlanta Braves Picks & Prediction
The Reds are 2-8 in their last 10 road games. Cincinnati is 0-4 in their last four games as a road underdog. In their last five games on grass the Reds are 1-4. The Braves are 12-2 in their last 14 home games. Atlanta is 8-2 in their last 10 meetings vs. National League Central opponents. The Braves are 38-13 in their last 51 games as a favorite. I like the Braves to open the season with a victory, beating the Reds by more than 1.5 runs, but the teams will combine for less than 8.5 runs.
