Written by :
Published on :
Carrie Stroup here with your St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds betting line for April 10. You can bet on all of today’s baseball games at Sportsbook.com here and receive up to $250 in FREE CASH when you open an online wagering account today.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: St. Louis -106 & 9 under -115
The Cardinals will look to stay atop the NL Central and clinch a series victory over the Reds as the two teams square off Tuesday night.
Kyle Lohse tossed a gem to start the year, going 7.1 innings while allowing just two hits and one run in Miami. He is going against Mike Leake, who showed improvement from his freshman to his sophomore campaign, dropping his ERA from 4.23 to 3.86 and his WHIP from 1.50 to 1.18. Look for him to continue to improve in his third year. Leake might seem like a sketchy play because he has a 6.97 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals, but take him because he starts seasons extraordinarily well. In his career, he is 5-0 in nine April starts, limiting batters to just a .242 BA and .681 OPS. Although the Cardinals are averaging more than six runs per game to start the season, their offense should cool down while the Reds offense, with its powerful mashers and just 3.5 runs per game thus far, is bound to heat up.
Lohse tossed a gem and barely needed offensive help in his first start, but the offense has been alive all season. The Redbirds have racked up nine home runs on the year with David Freese, Yadier Molina, Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday all knocking two out of the park. Freese is off to a scorching start with eight RBI and a .417 BA, building off his NLCS and World Series MVP Awards from last season. It all starts with the table setters, though, and Rafael Furcal has been superb in that role with a .435 BA and 1.045 OPS. Everything has been clicking for this lineup and if it continues to do so, Leake will be in trouble. But they seem bound for an off night with Leake’s April dominance on the hill.
Although the Cincinnati offense has been largely disappointing thus far, Jay Bruce’s power has been one of the lone bright spots, with the phenom outfielder hitting three home runs already on the season. Still, the offense is struggling mightily, hitting just .218 as a team. SS Zack Cozart has carried the offense with Bruce, hitting .500 with four runs and two doubles, but he won’t be able to keep that up forever. In order for the bats to really get going, the newly-rich Joey Votto will have to prove he’s worth the money, hitting just .154 on the season with two RBI. Without any home runs, Votto is hitting .333 in his career against Lohse, making this a nice chance for him to end his slump.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
