The Cincinnati Reds host the St. Louis Cardinals on August 31, 2025. First pitch from Great American Ball Park is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. EDT; the game will be broadcast on FDSOH.
The Reds will look to avoid a sweep against the Cardinals, and they enter the finale as -135 favorites.
Find my MLB betting preview and Cardinals vs Reds prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, injury reports, and more.
My Cardinals vs Reds Prediction
- Cardinals vs Reds picks: Reds ML -135 (play to -150)
My Cardinals vs Reds best bet is the Reds moneyline. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Cardinals vs Reds Odds
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -190 | 8.5 -110o / -110u | +118 |
| Reds Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +155 | 8.5 -110o / -110u | -140 |
Cardinals vs Reds Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Andre Pallante (STL) | Stat | RHP Brady Singer (CIN) |
|---|---|---|
| 6-12 | W-L | 11-9 |
| 0.6 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 2.6 |
| 5.44/4.34 | ERA /xERA | 4.06/4.23 |
| 4.63/3.98 | FIP / xFIP | 3.83/4.23 |
| 1.42 | WHIP | 1.27 |
| 2.0 | K-BB% | 2.5 |
| 60% | GB% | 37.7 |
| 94 | Stuff+ | 95 |
| 102 | Location+ | 100 |
Sean Paul’s Cardinals vs Reds Preview
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview: Pallante's Struggles to Continue
If the Cardinals had any chance of making the playoffs, they probably would’ve looked to improve upon Andre Pallante.
The swing-man is in the rotation full-time for the first time, and he’s clearly run out of gas. Over his last seven outings, Pallante holds a 7.68 ERA with a 1.68 WHIP in 34 innings. Plus, he’s allowed 4+ runs in each of his last four outings.
Pallante is a ground-ball specialist, ranking in the 97th percentile in ground-ball rate. He doesn't generate an adequate amount of swings and misses, sitting in the 30th percentile or worse in chase, whiff, and strikeout rate.
With the extreme ground-ball rate and limited strikeout stuff, Pallante leaves a lot to fate. He can be the victim of BABIP unluckiness, but he's made life tougher by walking 3+ hitters in three of his last five outings.
Offensively, St. Louis has been devoid of power all year, missing a true home-run hitting presence, as Willson Contreras is the team leader with 19 home runs. Alec Burleson is the only other hitter with more than 15, and he’s on the injured list.
That said, it makes sense why the Cardinals rank 26th in wRC+ in August. They rank in the bottom three in honors and second-to-last in ISO, only better than the Guardians. Perhaps playing in the bandbox that is Great American Ballpark will make the offense a bit better, but that’s hard to do.
Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview: Singer to Keep Dealing
The Reds still have an outside shot at making the playoffs. They're four games behind the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot, so every game matters.
On the mound is Brady Singer, who's dazzled in August, pitching to a pristine 1.95 ERA in five outings. He's allowed one or fewer runs in four of five outings, while punching out 6+ in three outings.
Singer is pitching above his weight right now, but he has a 4.06 ERA and 3.83 FIP this year. He's not some forgettable pitcher. He's a very productive middle-of-the-rotation arm for a team vying for a playoff spot.
Oddly, the Reds' hitter-friendly park should mean Singer has better road numbers than at home, but that's not the case. Singer holds a 3.08 ERA in 13 home outings with a 5.18 road ERA in the same number of outings. I do think such a drastic home/road split is meaningful.
Perhaps less meaningful, but again, so odd that it's worth noting is that Singer has a 2.66 ERA in 11 outings during the day compared to a 5.19 ERA in 15 night outings. I'm not convinced that it's more than merely a coincidence, but there's such a big gap in numbers.
Similar to the Cardinals' offense, the Reds have struggled of late. Cincinnati has a 79 wRC+, the second-worst mark in baseball this month. In that span, they have a league-worst 19 home runs and rank fourth-worst with a 24% strikeout rate.
In August, just two Reds' hitters have a wRC+ better than 100. Those are Noelvi Marte, a former top prospect who has come into his own, and Ke'Bryan Hayes. Notably missing is Elly De La Cruz, who has a 47 wRC+ and a .224 batting average while striking out in a quarter of his at-bats.
If the Reds' offense can escape the bottom of the league, they'll need their star to play like a star. He can do so, which isn't something the Cardinals have on their roster.
Cardinals vs Reds Prediction, Betting Analysis
I'm all over the pitching matchup here. Singer has dominated all month, and Pallante has been one of the worst pitchers in baseball since the All-Star break. I can't justify taking St. Louis here, even at +115. The number feels a bit short, as I think the Reds are the better team and Singer is by far the better pitcher.
Go with the Reds to -150.
Pick: Reds ML (play to -150)
Moneyline
I like the Reds here
Run Line (Spread)
No play
Over/Under
No play
Cardinals vs Reds Betting Trends
