Reds vs. Dodgers Odds, Pick & Preview: Expect Fast Start From Powerful Los Angeles (April 15)
Christian Petersen/Getty Images. Pictured: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin.
- The Dodgers are heavy home favorites on Friday night against the Reds.
- The Reds have gotten off to a slow start this season, but does that means there's value on them tonight?
- Kenny Ducey breaks down this matchup and shares his best bet below.
Reds vs. Dodgers Odds
| Reds Odds | +205 |
| Dodgers Odds | -255 |
| Over/Under | 9 (-115 / -105) |
| Time | 10:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | Apple TV+ |
| Odds via PointsBet. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here. | |
The Dodgers and Reds meet again Friday in yet another attempt for the visitors to get back on track in Los Angeles.
Given the projected nature of this pitching matchup, things might not be so easy. That said, let's get into this game.
Cincinnati Reds
It's been quite a disastrous start for Cincinnati, a team that has won just twice in seven tries heading into the weekend. The Reds dropped the first of a four-game set with the Dodgers by six runs and have now averaged just 4.3 runs per game in the early going.
Vladimir Gutierrez will get the ball for the Reds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He was a bit of a mystery last season, starting hot with a 2.74 ERA through four starts before falling into a slump and eventually pitching well enough to get his ERA back under four runs. The last six outings saw the rookie pitch just 21 innings in total, and in those innings he yielded 22 earned runs.
All this is to say, we saw some good and some bad out of Gutierrez. His first start of the year was sort of a mixed bag as well; he did only allow a pair of runs in a 2-1 loss to the Braves, but he allowed nine men to reach base in just 4 1/3 innings. Despite that, the contact he gave up wasn't all that bad, and he registered a .2067 xwOBA on contact and a 1.87 xERA.
Los Angeles Dodgers
After dropping their opening series to the upstart Rockies, order has been restored with the Dodgers. They've won three consecutive games by a combined score of 23-5, flexing their muscles offensively with no fewer than seven runs in each game.
One of the games lost this season by the Dodgers happened to be started by Tony Gonsolin, and that defeat was by a 3-2 score in Colorado. Gonsolin yielded a run in the first inning before the Dodgers wound up tying the game twice and losing in the home half of the eighth when Blake Treinen was taken deep.
Los Angeles will be hoping for a similar outing from Gonsolin — tonight's probable pitcher — because considering the state of this offense it will be more than enough. The right-hander made it through three innings with just the one run allowed before handing things off to Tyler Anderson in that game against the Rockies. And all Anderson did was shut out Colorado over four frames, striking out four and allowing two hits.
If Gonsolin and Anderson are the presumable tandem to take the Dodgers through six or seven, it could spell disaster for a Reds team whose three best hitters are all left-handed.
Reds-Dodgers Pick
The Dodgers have really found their form of late, and while they'll surely lose some games this year it's hard to see this being one of them. Gonsolin was nails last year in an opener role, and with Anderson joining the fray behind him there is the potential for a real force.
Cincinnati's expected issues against left-handed pitching this season given the left-handed nature of their lineup are of particular concern here if Anderson is the guy to eat up the bulk of the innings. It could drive a stake through an already brutal offense.
While Gutierrez may have a little bit of talent, I have a hard time believing he's got the goods to quiet this Dodgers offense. I'm going to take the first five spread here, backing Gonsolin and whoever else manage Dave Roberts feels comfortable inserting after him.
Pick: Los Angeles — F5 Innings -1 (-125)
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