Baseball bettors look for value at Busch Stadium on Friday as host St. Louis battles the Cincinnati Reds in baseball odds action.

St. Louis hands the ball to starter Chris Carpenter in this one and he'll try to improve on his 8-9 mark on the year. Cincinnati counters with Johnny Cueto, who will try to quiet the fans and the Cardinals bats at the same time.



View Cincinnati vs St Louis Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Reds were listed as +-140 underdogs on the baseball moneyline at many online sportsbooks. The total was set at 7 before betting started earlier on Monday.

Power Rankings:
The Cardinals sit at No. 6 in the National League in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Reds sit at a National League No. 8 on the same chart.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits St. Louis' No. 1-rated National League offense, averaging 4.7 runs per game, against a Reds defense that ranks No. 11 in the National League at 4.4 in runs allowed per game. The Cardinals have averaged 9.2 hits per game so far, more than Reds batters have averaged on the year (8.9 hits per game).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and St. Louis has the National League's No. 10-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Reds own the National League's No. 11 mark in runs allowed.

The Reds were a 6-4 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Phillies. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Philadelphia at -122 on the moneyline, while the total score (10) was good news for OVER bettors. The Reds were saddled with a loss last time out in Mike Leake's start, as they lost 6-4 against Philadelphia on Thursday at Great American Ball Park.

St. Louis was an 8-4 Sportsbook in its last match on the road against the Brewers. They won as +176 underdogs, while the total score of 12 made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. St. Louis got the job done in their last match in an 8-4 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday at Miller Park behind starter Brandon Dickson.


Cincinnati Reds Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing St. Louis are 5-5
After playing Philadelphia are 3-7
After a loss are 5-5

St. Louis Cardinals Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Cincinnati are 5-5
After playing Milwaukee are 6-4
After a win are 5-5

A few Reds at Cardinals trends to consider:
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games on the road
Cincinnati is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 9 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis' last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of St. Louis' last 9 games
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Cincinnati


Next up:
Cincinnati at St. Louis, Saturday, September 3