The Houston Astros (75-64) clash with Cincinnati Reds (67-73) will take place at Great American Ball Park and is bound to be interesting, given the fact that both teams are trying to improve their standings at the end of the season. Based on their recent record, the Astros are looking for redemption against the Reds, which proves to be one of the factors that makes baseball an unpredictable sport; thus, the logic for MLB top predictions remains a fascinating thing in sports gambling.
Astros vs. Reds 9/5/24 Game Info and Odds |
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| When: | Thursday, September 5, 2024, at 1:10 PM ET |
| Where: | Great American Ball Park |
| Watch: | SCHN, BSOH, MLBN, ESPN+ |
| Astros odds: | Moneyline -148 |
| Reds odds: | Moneyline +124 |
| Total Line: | 9 |
Astros (75-64) vs. Reds (67-73)
The Houston Astros arrive at this game looking to break the curse against the Reds, more so at the Great American Ball Park that has proved to be very tough for them. While they have a fairly good record in terms of season stands, the last five games show a body that has been more susceptible as they lost two of the most recent games to the Reds, scoring 5-12 and 3-5, but won three straight matches against the Kansas City Royals, and also lost twice to the Phillies.
| Houston Astros Last 5 Games | |||
| Date | Opponent | Score | SU |
| Sep 4, 2024 | CIN | 5-12 | L |
| Sep 2, 2024 | CIN | 3-5 | L |
| Sep 1, 2024 | KC | 7-2 | W |
| Aug 31, 2024 | KC | 5-2 | W |
| Aug 30, 2024 | KC | 3-2 | W |
On the other hand, even though the Cincinnati Reds have an overall low season record, the team has managed to be resilient and unexpectedly thrash the Astros on their home ground. A stunning turnaround in their on-field performance is best described by their latest games, which include a formidable 12-5 win over Houston and a close fight that finished 4-3 over Milwaukee Brewers despite sending out frightening signals of inconsistency in a 6-9 loss to the Athletics.
| Cincinnati Reds Last 5 Games | |||
| Date | Opponent | Score | SU |
| Sep 4, 2024 | HOU | 12-5 | W |
| Sep 2, 2024 | HOU | 5-3 | W |
| Sep 1, 2024 | MIL | 4-3 | W |
| Aug 31, 2024 | MIL | 4-5 | L |
| Aug 30, 2024 | MIL | 0-14 | L |
Hunter Brown (11-7, 3.55 ERA) vs. Rhett Lowder (0-1, 2.25 ERA)
Hunter Brown has an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio, as evident from his ERA in the 3.55 range, and has been a solid performer within the Astros’ pitching rotation. His composure under pressure and ability to execute will be instrumental against the Reds, who have recently had successes against the Houston pitchers. Nevertheless, his statistics reveal that he is still a liability away from the confines of the safe pitcher, and this is a trait that he ought to get over in this matchup.
On the other hand, Rhett Lowder, who has pitched a total of 4 innings for the Reds this season and is thus largely unproven, is an unknown quantity. On limited appearances, he has a 2.25 earned run average and has quite some promise, but there will be a lot more weight on his skills and tactics when he faces offense as aggressive and skilled as Houston’s.
MLB Odds/Point Spread: Astros -1.5 (+110), Total Odds: 9
Taking into account the available betting lines, this match is a hard pick as the teams have different recent records at this venue. The Astros are the preferred side; however, they are having real difficulties in Cincinnati. Hence, placing bets on the spread may not be safe.
Astros Betting Trends
The Astros have been good in general, but when it comes to their away record and their historical performance in Cincinnati, it makes a complicated story for the gamblers. The inclination of the games to go OVER in games involving NL Central teams might allure over bets, but their paltry recent performances might deter such thinking.
Cincinnati Reds Betting Trends
This makes the Reds as a good underdog approach because they can pull an upset against the Astros on their home court. The fact that they have been playing OVER on Thursdays also over the line makes it likely that such a trend will bring chances for high total points on the game.
Astros vs. Reds 9/5/24 Betting Picks
In this match-up, looking at all aspects of the situation, it would be reasonable to say that the Reds will have a more conservative approach and perhaps cover the spread, especially after their previous home performance against the Astros. It’s only befitting to say also that the total going OVER, fits both teams’ scoring tenda previously in such weekly matchups.
For this case of props bets and the excellent betting approach detailed, one Looks to the early innings of the starting pitchers. It is possible for the Reds to win not only against the spread in this contest but even win straight up if Lowder can hold his own households with the battle-tested Astros, as the Reds might very well do so. Thus, supporting the Reds on the moneyline as a value play makes sense, together with supporting a modest bet on the total going OVER as well. Those who crave premium sports picks should not overlook the fact that the underdog’s play theory in the last several matchups could be a beneficial adjustment for your betting.