Cincinnati will try to be nasty hosts on Sunday when the Houston Astros pay a visit to Great American Ball Park.

Cincinnati hands the ball to starter Johnny Cueto in this one and he'll try to improve on his 17-7 mark on the year. Houston counters with Edgar Gonzalez, who will try to quiet the fans and the Reds bats at the same time.



View Houston vs Cincinnati Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Baseball odds makers opened the Reds as -300 moneyline favorites in this matchup. Over under bettors saw the number open at 8.

Power Rankings:
The Reds sit at No. 5 in the National League in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Astros sit at a National League No. 16 on the same chart.



How They Match Up:
Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Cincinnati's National League No. 8-ranked scoring average of 4.3 runs per game, against a Astros offense rated No. 16 and scoring 3.6 runs per game in the league. The Reds have averaged 8.7 hits per game to date this season, more than the Astros hitters have managed (8 per nine innings).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and Cincinnati has the National League's No. 2-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Astros own the National League's No. 15 mark in runs allowed.

Houston lost its last outing, a 5-1 result against the Reds on September 8. Bettors who backed the Reds at -192 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (6) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. Houston suffered a 5-1 loss against Cincinnati on Saturday, as Bud Norris wasn't able to lead his team to victory at Great American Ball Park.




Houston Astros Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 1-9
Before playing Chi Cubs are 3-7
After playing Cincinnati are 4-6
After a loss are 4-6

Cincinnati Reds Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Pittsburgh are 6-4
After playing Houston are 6-4
After a win are 4-6

A few Astros at Reds trends to consider:
Houston is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Houston is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Cincinnati
Houston is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Houston is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games
Cincinnati is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Houston
Cincinnati is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Houston
Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home


Next up:
Houston home to Chi Cubs, Monday, September 10
Cincinnati home to Pittsburgh, Monday, September 10