Reds vs Diamondbacks Odds: Huge Series in NL Wild Card Race Begins

• Reds enter Thursday in third Wild Card position in NL
• Diamondbacks a half-game behind Reds in Wild Card standings
• Reds have won three straight, D-Backs have won four in a row

Reds vs Diamondbacks Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook. See different MLB betting sites for more betting opportunities!  

Reds vs Diamondbacks Picks

• Our Pick: Under 9 (-115)

Reds vs Diamondbacks Predictions

The National League Wild Card race is as tight as can be, with four teams separated by a half-game from positions two through four in the standings. Two of those teams are the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks, who start a massive four-game series on Thursday night. The winner of this series will give themselves a huge leg up in the Wild Card chase, starting with this Thursday night contest.

Cincinnati Reds Predictions

The Cincinnati Reds have won three games in a row coming into Thursday’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. They took three straight games from the Los Angeles Angels, and ended the pitching season of Shohei Ohtani in the process. Now, the Reds will look to hold onto one of the three NL Wild Card places with a victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road.

Brandon Williamson is on the mound for the Reds to start this game, and to start one of the biggest series of the year for Cincinnati. Williamson enters this contest with a record of 4-3 and an ERA of 4.47. So far this year, Williamson is 2-1 on the road, and has a slightly better record away from Great American Ballpark than he has at his home stadium. That could make a huge difference for the Reds in this game.

Also making a huge difference for the Reds of late is their bullpen, which stepped up during their sweep of the Angels. Cincinnati allowed a total of 10 runs in those three games in Anaheim, a pleasant departure from their pitching woes throughout the season. If the Reds can pitch effectively again here, they could get themselves one of the most significant wins of their entire season.

Arizona Diamondbacks Predictions

The Arizona Diamondbacks have won four games in a row entering Thursday’s MLB action. They took the last two games of their recent series with the San Diego Padres, then earned a two-game mini-sweep over the AL West leading Texas Rangers. Now, the Diamondbacks will aim for a fifth straight win and switch places with the Reds in the NL Wild Card standings.

Fortunately for the Diamondbacks, they have one of their top arms on the mound for this crucial contest. Merrill Kelly is on the mound for the Diamondbacks to start this contest, who is 10-5 with an ERA of 3.13. While he is not quite as dominant as NL Cy Young frontrunner Zac Gallen for Arizona, he is still one of the few arms that Arizona would be happy to have starting a game of this magnitude.

Offensively, the Diamondbacks have put up similar numbers to the Reds this season, even if the Reds are slightly superior in total runs scored and home runs hit on the season. With the D-Backs having a pitching advantage in this game, they should be able to offset the slight offensive edge the Reds bring to Phoenix. Whether or not that is enough to give Arizona the upper hand in this game remains to be seen.

How to Watch Reds vs Diamondbacks

• What: Cincinnati Reds vs Arizona Diamondbacks
• When: Thursday, August 24, 2023 at 9:40 PM ET
• Where: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
• How to Watch: FS1