The Philadelphia Phillies (4-8) and Cincinnati Reds (4-7) swing into a 4-game set Thursday. First pitch at Great American Ball Park is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET.
Season series: Phillies lead 2-1
Philadelphia took 2-of-3 from the Reds April last weekend and went 6-1 against Cincy last season. The Phillies are coming off a 3-3 homestand that saw the club notch an .826 OPS at the plate and a team 3.76 ERA.
Cincinnati totes a 3-game losing streak into this home series. The Reds are 1-6 over their last 7 games.
Phillies at Reds projected starters
LHP Bailey Falter vs. LHP Nick Lodolo
Falter (0-1 2.61 ERA) is making his 3rd start. He has a 1.07 WHIP 0.0 BB/9 and 4.4 K/9 through 10 1/3 IP over 2 starts.
- Owns a 4.22 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 128 IP in parts of 3 MLB seasons
- Facing the Reds for a 2nd straight start; allowed 1 ER on 4 H with 0 BB and 2 K over 5 IP Saturday
Lodolo (1-0 1.50 ERA) makes his 3rd start. He has a 1.17 WHIP 3.0 BB/9 and 15.8 K/9 through 12 IP in 2 starts.
- Pitched 7-scoreless innings with 12 K against the Phillies (12 K) in his last start opposite Falter Saturday
- Current Philly bats own a high-strikeout .516 OPS against him
- Notched a 2.85 ERA in 12 starts at home last season
Phillies at Reds odds
- Moneyline: Phillies +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Reds -135 (bet $135 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Phillies +1.5 (-175) | Reds -1.5 (+145)
- Over/Under (O/U): 9 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Phillies at Reds picks and predictions
Prediction
Phillies 4 Reds 3
Moneyline
Falter had a nice spring training (so did Lodolo) and is one to watch in the early going. Look for the 2022 NL pennant winners to bounce back with a better road trip than the 1-5 voyage with which they started this season. The Phils have had the Reds’ number of late and Cincinnati heads into this series on the losing skid.
BACK PHILADELPHIA (+115) on a partial-unit play and go for a full unit at +120 or better.
Run line/Against the spread
Philadelphia has already had 4 losses or 2 runs or less. Would consider the Phils +1.5 at -170 or better PASS otherwise.
Over/Under
Peg this one as a solid pitching match-up and both bullpens figure as better than the numbers constituting their surface stats. Philadelphia has scored 3 runs or fewer in 4 of its last 5 road games.
TAKE THE UNDER 9 (-110).