The Miami Marlins host the Cincinnati Reds on April 9, 2026. First pitch from loanDepot park is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on MIAM.
The Marlins are favored by -131 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Reds are +109 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 8 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Reds vs Marlins prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Reds vs Marlins Prediction
- Reds vs Marlins Pick: Reds Moneyline +109 (Play to +102)
My Reds vs Marlins best bet is on Cincinnati to win outright. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Reds vs Marlins Odds
| Reds Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -193 | 8 -108o / -112u | +109 |
| Marlins Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +159 | 8 -108o / -112u | -131 |
- Reds vs Marlins spread: Reds +1.5 (-193), Marlins -1.5 (+159)
- Reds vs Marlins over/under: 8 (-108o / -112u)
- Reds vs Marlins moneyline: Reds +109, Marlins -131
Reds vs Marlins Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Rhett Lowder (CIN) | Stat | RHP Max Meyer (MIA) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-0 | W-L | 0-0 |
| 0.2 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.2 |
| 1.64/2.59 | ERA /xERA | 4.66/5.65 |
| 3.81/4.49 | FIP / xFIP | 3.80/4.04 |
| 0.91 | WHIP | 1.34 |
| 11.6% | K-BB% | 13.6% |
| 33.3% | GB% | 33.3% |
| 83 | Stuff+ | 94 |
| 109 | Location+ | 113 |
Reds vs Marlins Preview
Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview
Cincinnati is off to a great start, thanks in large part to excellent pitching, and will look to Rhett Lowder to keep it going.
Lowder is a 24-year-old former first round pick who made the Opening Day roster after ranking as one of the top 100 prospects in baseball last season. Lowder made six starts for the Reds at the end of 2024 and looked fantastic. He pitched to a 1.17 ERA and allowed just four runs over 30 2/3 innings in his last season call-up.
After spending all of 2025 on the injured list or in the minor leagues, Lowder made the roster and picked up right where he left off with Cincinnati. Through his first two outings he has a 1.64 ERA and has surrendered just two runs in 11 innings. Lowder doesn’t light up the radar gun, but relies on his ability to change speeds and locate pitches.
As fun as the Reds’ young pitching staff is, I do not understand how their offense isn’t better. It seems like every year we look at the names in the lineup and expect them to take a jump forward and they do not. Cincinnati ranks dead in the league in scoring and sits bottom five in wOBA.
The Reds are at least hitting the ball harder than they did last season, but it has not resulted in scoring runs. Rookie Sal Stewart has been the brightest spot in this lineup, currently holding an OPS of over 1.100 and leading the team in hits. Elly De La Cruz has been hitting the ball well too, but the Reds need him to turn into a legitimate superstar.
Miami Marlins Betting Preview
Miami will have a former first-round pick on the mound as well in No. 3 overall pick (2020) Max Meyer. After making his debut in 2022, Meyer has not lived up to the success of a top draft pick and has struggled to remain healthy. Meyer has made just 27 starts in the big leagues over the last five seasons and has a 5.24 career ERA.
2026 is being viewed as a “make-or-break” season for Meyer, who has tweaked his pitch arsenal in a hope to see better results. Meyer still relies on his slider as his most frequent pitch, but has cut down on his changeup and sinker usage in favor of adding a sweeper to his arsenal.
The problem with Meyer has always been when opponents are able to get the ball on the bat, they tend to smoke it. He has allowed a 14.3% barrel rate so far this season.
The Marlins look much improved at the plate this season thanks to a new hitting approach that emphasizes high-contact rates and situational hitting. We have seen that approach work well for teams like Milwaukee and Toronto in the past few years. Miami sits in the top 10 in scoring and team on-base percentage this season.
No player has had better success with the new approach than Xavier Edwards. The young infielder is batting .400 early on the year and is one of five fish players hitting over .300 to begin the season. They are not hitting many home runs, but that seems to be by design.
Reds vs Marlins Picks
Starting with the pitching matchup, the Reds have a sizable pitching advantage in this one. Cincinnati’s entire rotation has been terrific and Lowder is probably underrated due to some of the other names around him. It is a small sample size for sure, but a 1.30 ERA to start his career is hard to ignore.
Lowder is more than a thrower, he is a pitcher. He won’t overpower hitters but mixes speeds and locations to keep hitters off balance. Lowder is coming off a six-inning shutout performance against the Rangers in his last time out. He has made just eight career starts and has held his opponents scoreless in five of them.
Miami likely has the advantage on offense right now, but Cincinnati is due for better results at the plate. They currently sit last in the league in scoring. However, we know about the talent in this lineup, and they are at least hitting the ball hard.
Last season, the Reds ranked 28th in hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. Weak contact is what killed them last year. This season though? Cincinnati ranks fifth in the league in average exit velocity. De La Cruz, Tyler Stephenson, and Sal Stewart are crushing the ball.
Yet, they rank just 27th for BABIP. Expect that number to rise if they continue to hit the ball hard. The Reds currently rank 27th with a .281 wOBA, but they have a .310 xwOBA.
They also have the lowest team batting average with runners in scoring position by a pretty wide margin, hitting just .186 with RISP.
All of that points to a team that is just getting unlucky at the plate and due for some positive regression.
Meyer has looked like nothing more than a back-of-the-rotation starter since getting drafted in the top five. He should provide a good matchup for a Cincinnati lineup that can hit the ball hard. Meyer has allowed a 14.4% barrel rate this season, an issue he has struggled with his whole career. When guys make contact against Meyer, they smoke it.
Stephenson and De La Cruz are already a combined 5-for-9 with two doubles and a home run against Meyer in their careers and I expect them to do some more damage on Thursday.
Pick: Reds Moneyline +109 (Play to +102)
