Bet on Reds to extend winning streak against Cardinals

We are coming off a 1-0 night to begin the week. With the Dodgers game rained out, two of three plays were delayed a day but can be found here.

We backed the Phillies to generate over 3.5 hits against Blake Snell for the lone play standing and managed five in four innings before the veteran lefty was chased.

Let's take a look at a few plays that pop off the page for Tuesday's full slate of games.

Cardinals (+110) @ Reds (-130)

The Reds haven't lived up to expectations this season but are suddenly red-hot. They've won four consecutive games by multiple runs and appear nicely positioned to make it five against the Cardinals.

Dynamic lefty Andrew Abbott is set to take the mound for the Reds, giving them a hefty pitching advantage over Kyle Gibson and the Cardinals.

Abbott owns a 2.68 ERA through 10 starts and has conceded two or fewer runs in nine. He owns the lowest xwOBA during May of the day's projected starters, and his numbers are sparkling across the board.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, are struggling mightily against lefties this month. They are hitting just .214 versus southpaws and only rank ahead of the Nationals in xwOBA.

Simply put, they're not getting on base and not making good contact, and Abbott is one of the last lefties you want to see when struggling the way the Cardinals are struggling.

Conversely, a matchup against Gibson is a good spot for the Reds to generate offense. As a pitch-to-contact starter who throws a lot of balls and lacks overpowering stuff to punch batters out, he is unlikely to exploit the Reds' struggles to avoid strikeouts.

The Reds should be able to put a lot of balls in play against Gibson and have the talent to make it count.

Look for a pitching advantage to prove decisive as the Reds try to extend their winning streak to five games.

Bet: Reds (-130)

Grayson Rodriguez: Under 2.5 earned runs

Rodriguez is doing an excellent job of limiting opposing offenses this season. He's only allowed three-plus runs once through eight starts and conceded just two over his past three games.

Rodriguez is at his best when playing on home soil. Despite facing a difficult list of opponents, including the Yankees, Mariners, and Twins, he has given up three total runs spanning four home games.

The Red Sox are a good offensive team, but they're hitting only .220 versus righties on the road in May. It's also worth noting Rodriguez possesses noticeably better numbers against left-handed bats, and the Red Sox project to have five of them.

There's value in backing Rodriguez to build on his early-season success and limit the runs once again.

Odds: -140 (playable to -160)

Simeon Woods Richardson: Under 2.5 earned runs

Woods Richardson is pitching remarkably well this season. He's allowing just 1.4 runs per start, and the Blue Jays are the only team (go figure) that has found a way to plate three runs or more against him this season.

He doesn't have an overpowering pitch arsenal, but he's doing a great job of pitching methodically. He throws a lot of strikes and limits the amount of power he gives up. As a result, he's averaging one homer allowed per 72 plate appearances, which equates to less than one every three starts.

Woods Richardson averages exactly five innings pitched per start. Considering he doesn't give up much power, or concede runs in chunks, it's difficult for offenses to score three or more before he exits the game.

The Royals are struggling to do damage early in games. Nine of the past 12 righties they faced gave up two runs or fewer before exiting the game. Two of the three exceptions were Casey Mize and Ross Stripling, pitchers who aren't on the same level as Woods Richardson.

Odds: -110 (playable to -140)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.