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From Citi Field in New York, the Reds and Mets face off in an NL matchup. The forecast for Sunday’s game calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60s. First pitch is at 1:40 PM ET.
The Mets are currently on a nine-game winning streak, and they are 78-64 overall. They are 2nd in the NL East, while the Reds are 4th in the NL Central with a record of 68-75. New York is the heavy favorite on the money line, with odds of -202 compared to the Reds at +169. Today’s over/under line is at 8 runs, and the game will be televised on BSOH.
Cincinnati vs. New York Key Information
- Teams: Reds at Mets
- Where: Citi Field New York
- Date: Sunday, September 8th
- Betting Odds NYM -202 | CIN +169 O/U 8
The Reds Can Win If…
Julian Aguiar and the Reds are on the road to take on the Mets. Aguiar has started 2 games this season, and in his most recent outing, he took a no-decision vs. the Astros. In that game, he went 2 2/3 innings and gave up 2 earned runs on 2 hits. He did strike out 2 batters. In his first start of the year, he picked up a win vs. the Pirates, going 6 innings and striking out 4.
Elly De La Cruz comes into the game as the Reds’ top home run hitter this season, and he is also 2nd on the team in RBIs. However, he has struggled at the plate of late, going just 4/19 in his last five games. Overall, De La Cruz is batting .261. Spencer Steer is the team’s top RBI man, as his 86 RBIs are 15th in the league. He has 19 homers this season but is batting just .233.
As a team, the Reds are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 15th in the league. Their team batting average of .233 is 19th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS.
- The Reds are 5-5 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Reds are 3-2 vs. the run line.
- Cincinnati has an over/under record of 5-4-1 in their last ten games.
- The Reds have an average of 4.4 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten road games, the Reds are 4-6
- Looking back across the Reds last five games as the favorite, they are 2-3
- Cincinnati has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Reds have averaged 4.6 runs per game on offense
The Mets Can Win If…
Luis Severino gets the start for the Mets today and is coming off a strong outing vs. the Red Sox. In that September 2nd start, he went seven innings, picking up the win and giving up just one earned run. Looking back over his last four starts, Severino has given up one earned run or fewer in three of those outings. For the season, he has a record of 10-6, an ERA of 3.84, and a WHIP of 1.25. Opposing batters are hitting .234 off Severino this season. So far, he has one complete game shutout and 11 quality starts.
Heading into today’s game, the Mets offense is averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 7th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 4.9 runs per game. Overall, they are 4th in the league in home runs and have the 8th best team batting average in the league. Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have been the team’s top power threats this season, with Alonso’s 31 homers leading the team and Lindor right behind him with 30. Lindor also leads the team with 84 RBIs, while Alonso is 2nd with 79.
Over his last five games, Mark Vientos has been on fire, going 8/20 with three homers and five RBIs. This has helped him move his season batting average up to .272. Brandon Nimmo comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak.
- The Mets are 9-1 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Mets are 5-0 vs. the run line.
- New York has an over/under record of 4-6 in their last ten games.
- The Mets have an average of 5.8 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten home games, the Mets are 7-3
- Looking back across the Mets last five games as the favorite, they are 5-0
- New York has gone 3-0 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Mets have averaged 4.5 runs per game on offense
Mets’ Hot Streak
The New York Mets are on fire! Riding a nine-game winning streak, they’re looking to cap it off by sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in their three-game series. The Mets (78-64) have caught fire at the perfect time, charging into the National League wild-card race. After starting the series strong, the Mets are showing no signs of slowing down as they eye a crucial postseason push.
New York’s recent run has been a game-changer. Just a couple of weeks ago, they were four games behind in the wild-card race. But thanks to their longest winning streak since 2018, the Mets have surged within two games of the San Diego Padres for the first wild-card spot and sit just a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second.
“We’re playing, knock on wood, clean games,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s great to see the guys not only preparing but executing day in and day out.”
On Saturday, the Mets blanked the Reds 4-0, with Jose Quintana and three relievers teaming up for a six-hit shutout. With the Braves losing to the Blue Jays, New York took sole possession of a wild-card spot, and impressively, they haven’t trailed in any of their last seven games.
Reds Look to Rebound
Cincinnati came into this series on a four-game winning streak but has struggled to keep up with the Mets, dropping the first two games. Friday’s extra-inning loss was a heartbreaker, with the Reds losing 6-4 after a 10th-inning homer by Mark Vientos. Saturday’s 4-0 defeat didn’t offer much relief either, as the Reds went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, squandering key opportunities.
“You hate to think it comes down to two plays,” Reds manager David Bell said. “But early on, we were taking good swings and had some chances. The Mets’ defense just kept us off the board.”
Despite several opportunities to score, the Reds couldn’t break through, especially when Quintana worked his way out of jams in the second, third, and fourth innings. Now, Cincinnati is desperate to avoid being swept and turn things around in the series finale.
Pitching Matchup: Severino vs. Aguiar
On Sunday, the Mets will turn to right-hander Luis Severino (10-6, 3.84 ERA), who’s coming off a strong performance against the Red Sox. In his last outing, Severino went seven innings, allowing just one run in a 4-1 win. He’s 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA in four career starts against Cincinnati, and the Mets will be counting on him to keep the momentum going.
The Reds will send out 23-year-old Julian Aguiar (1-0, 6.48 ERA) for his fifth major league start. Aguiar had a mixed outing in his last game, giving up two runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Astros, though the Reds still won 5-3. Sunday’s game will be Aguiar’s first career start against the Mets, and Cincinnati will need him to step up if they hope to avoid the sweep.
What to Watch For
The Mets’ nine-game winning streak has sparked new life into their playoff hunt. They’ll be looking to Luis Severino to keep the strong pitching performances coming, while the offense aims to stay hot and put away the Reds once and for all.
For Cincinnati, the challenge is simple: capitalize on scoring opportunities and tighten up their defense. They’ve shown they can create chances but need to start converting them if they want to avoid being swept and stop New York’s red-hot run.
With the Mets chasing playoff glory and the Reds looking to regain their footing, this series finale is shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown that could have big implications for both teams.
The Lean
For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, as this is projected to be the 3rd highest-scoring game of the day. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we have our lean on the Reds to pick up the win. Cincinnati has the 5th best home run projection, and Julian Aguiar has the 7th best strikeout projection among today’s starters.
