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Two of the most enjoyable teams to watch in the majors this season are the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles, two downtrodden franchises now back in playoff contention.

They open a very interesting interleague series on Monday with the Orioles favored on the MLB odds.

Reds vs. Orioles Odds and Betting Prediction | MyBookie Baseball Preview

Opening MLB Lines: Reds +1.5 -172, Orioles -1.5 +139 / Reds +109; Orioles -133 / O/U 10
Probable pitchers (away/home): Brandon Williamson/Cole Irvin

Monday, June 26, 2023 at 7:05 pm ET
Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Baltimore, Maryland

Why Bet on Cincinnati?

On April 23, the Cincinnati Reds were 8 games under .500 (7-15) and 8.5 games out of first place, both season highs. Their 34-22 record beginning April 24 is the best in the Central Division and T3rd-best in the majors. Overall this year, the Reds lead MLB with 27 come-from-behind wins and Baltimore is second with 26. Cincy has won 13 games in its final at-bat, including five walk-off wins.

On Friday, the Reds upset the Braves for their 12th straight win, but Atlanta put Cincinnati in its place over the weekend with a pair of 7-6 victories – still, the Reds nearly rallied from down big to win both of those. No quit for sure. The Braves and Reds combined for 19 homers to match the record for the most hit during a three-game series in Cincinnati.

Reds rookie infielder Matt McLain went 4-for-5 with a home run, three doubles, five RBI and two runs scored in Sunday’s loss. It was McLain’s second game in a row with a homer, and his fourth multi-hit effort in his last 10 contests. He got the nod at second base with Jonathan India receiving a day off. McLain has stepped up since his big-league debut May 15, slashing .325/.380/.541 with five homers, 22 RBI, 30 runs scored, four stolen bases, 11 doubles and four triples over 37 games.

It’s rookie lefty Brandon Williamson (1-0) on the mound Monday. Williamson allowed three runs on six hits over five-plus innings on June 19 in his last outing vs. Colorado. He struck out five and did not factor in the decision. Williamson allowed just one run through five frames before being charged with two more in the sixth inning despite not recording an out in the frame. His 5.40 ERA remained unchanged while he improved his season K:BB to 27:13 through 36.2 innings. He’s turned in two straight starts without issuing a walk but he’s been tagged with six homers over his last four outings.

“He’s got a little bit of everything,” Manager David Bell said of Williamson, who faces the Orioles for the first time. “He’s had some really good starts. He’s had some tough beginnings to his outings and kept us in there and helped us win games at times. It’s been a great learning process for him. It has not gone perfect. He’s had enough success mixed in there where he’s really starting to believe that he can pitch here, and more importantly, he’s learning what he needs to do to pitch well here.”

The Reds are 6-9 all-time vs the Orioles, including 5-4 at Great American Ball Park and 1-5 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Reds’ 15 regular season games vs Baltimore are their fewest against any other Major League team.

Why Bet on Baltimore?

Baltimore has won seven of the last nine games at Oriole Park since June 9. The O’s are 24-14 in Baltimore this year and own the third-best home record in the AL and fourth-best in MLB.

The Baltimore Orioles won their second game in a row Sunday to take two of three at home vs. Seattle. It was 3-2 on Sunday and Félix Bautista struck out three of the four batters he faced for the save. Bautista was on fire, averaging a career-high 101.8 mph on his nine fastballs. He topped out at 103.4 mph. That means he’s likely not available Monday, though.

Anthony Santander launched a two-run homer Sunday, his fifth homer in six games, to tie the game in the third inning. He has homered in three straight games for the second time in his career (also: 8/8-11/21) and is the first Oriole to homer in three straight games since Gunnar Henderson from June 10-13.

Young catcher Adley Rutschman is slashing .325/.419/.556 (41-for-126) with five doubles, eight home runs, 21 runs scored, 17 RBI, and 21 walks in 35 home games (34 GS) this season. He ranks fourth in the AL and 11th in MLB with a .975 OPS at home. Rutschman didn’t start Sunday but simply for rest. He’ll be in there Monday.

The team will call up top infield prospect Jordan Westburg from Triple-A Norfolk prior to Monday’s game against the Reds. Westburg, 24, was the Orioles’ first-round pick (30th overall) from the 2020 draft class. He has been terrific at Triple-A Norfolk this season, slashing .295/.372/.567 with 18 homers, 54 RBI, six stolen bases and a 64/29 K/BB ratio over 301 plate appearances. Westburg and Gunnar Henderson are likely to cover shortstop and third base for the O’s.

It’s lefty Cole Irvin (1-3, 7.71) on the mound Monday. His most recent start was June 16 and Irvin took the loss against the Cubs, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk over four innings. He struck out four. Irvin allowed three solo home runs in the third inning on hanging breaking balls, but he was otherwise sharp. It was the left-hander’s second straight start in place of Grayson Rodriguez, who was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on May 27.

Because of some schedule flexibility, the O’s then used Irvin for and inning of relief last Wednesday vs. Tampa Bay and he allowed a run. Irvin’s spot in the Orioles’ rotation likely depends more on Rodriguez’s progress than his own success. Irvin owns a 0-0 career record against Cincinnati with a 0.00 ERA (0 ER/2.1 IP) in two appearances, both as a reliever.

MLB Pick: Orioles 6, Reds 5 | Bet Reds vs. Orioles Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Games

Cincinnati Reds vs Baltimore Orioles | Betting Trends for Game

Reds are 4-0 in their last 4 during game 1 of a series.
Reds are 4-0 in their last 4 Monday games.
Reds are 16-5 in their last 21 road games.
Orioles are 6-2 in their last 8 home games.
Orioles are 36-17 in their last 53 during game 1 of a series.
Reds are 3-7 in the last 10 meetings.

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