Baseball bettors look for value at PNC Park on Wednesday as host Pittsburgh battles the Cincinnati Reds in baseball odds action.

Johnny Cueto, with a record of 5-3 on the season, gets the ball for the Reds, while the Pirates trot Jeff Karstens to the mound in this one. He is 7-3 so far in 2011.



View Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 100 moneyline favorites in this one at most online sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark. The total opened at 7 for those preferring over under wagers.

Power Rankings:
The MLB Power Rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Pirates rated this week at No. 12 and the Reds sitting at No. 9.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Pittsburgh's No. 11 ranked National League offense (3.9 runs per game) against a Reds defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 10 in the National League at 4.3 runs allowed per game. The Pirates have been averaging 8.2 hits per game, less than the Reds have managed so far this season (9 hits on average).

Defensively, Cincinnati features the National League's No. 8-rated defense on the road, allowing 4.2 runs per game. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, comes in at No. 13 in the National League at home, scoring 3.5 runs per game.

In their last action, Cincinnati was a 1-0 loser on the road against the Pirates. Bettors on Pittsburgh at +103 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (1) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. The Reds were shut out in their last start, struggling to get much going against the Pittsburgh staff and losing 1-0 to the Pirates on Tuesday at PNC Park.




Cincinnati Reds Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
Before playing Atlanta are 6-4
After playing Pittsburgh are 3-7
After a loss are 6-4

Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
Before playing St. Louis are 8-2
After playing Cincinnati are 6-4
After a win are 5-5

A few Reds at Pirates trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games


Next up:
Cincinnati home to Atlanta, Friday, July 22
Pittsburgh home to St. Louis, Friday, July 22