- Matchup: Cincinnati Reds vs. Tampa Bay Rays
- Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
- Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
- Broadcast: MLB.TV
- Betting Odds: Cincinnati (-182), Tampa Bay (+150)
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In an exciting showdown, the Tampa Bay Rays (12-9) will host the Cincinnati Reds (14-8) at Tropicana Field this Tuesday. The betting line favors Cincinnati at -182, while Tampa Bay is listed at +150. The total runs over/under is set at 8.5. The starting pitchers for this matchup are expected to be Chase Burns and Steven Matz.
This season, Cincinnati has a slugging percentage of .326 and has been struck out 205 times, while drawing 93 walks. They have accumulated 70 RBIs and 145 hits with a batting average of .202. The Reds have hit 24 doubles and launched 21 home runs, scoring a total of 78 runs with an on-base percentage (OBP) of .297. On average, they score 3.6 runs per game, placing them 27th in the league.
Cincinnati has posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.72 with a team WHIP of 1.35. The Reds’ pitching staff has yielded 17 home runs and a total of 86 runs (ranking 9th overall). They’ve allowed 170 hits (7.7 per 9 innings) and 77 earned runs, holding a team ERA of 3.47 (8th in the league) and striking out 170 batters. They have given up 99 walks, and their FIP stands at 4.15 for the season.
This year, the Reds have employed 84 relief pitchers. The relievers have had to navigate 37 inherited runners this season, with 24.3% of those scoring. Additionally, the bullpen has notched 20 holds, ranking 2nd in the league. The Reds’ relievers have been called upon during high-leverage situations 36 times and earned 10 saves from 13 save opportunities, resulting in a 76.9% save conversion rate.
The Cincinnati defense has recorded 600 putouts, 183 assists, and 11 errors, achieving a fielding percentage of .986, good for 14th in professional baseball. They’ve completed 21 double plays, converting 71.6% of balls in play into outs over 1,800 innings, ranking them 5th in the major leagues.
Chase Burns has pitched 65 innings, with 89 strikeouts to his name in his career. He holds a 1-4 lifetime record and a FIP of 3.81 after facing 276 batters in the major leagues. With an earned run average of 3.87 (allowing 28 earned runs), he has a WHIP of 1.242 and given up 56 hits (7.7 hits per nine innings) alongside 25 walks.
Tampa Bay has accumulated 18 home runs and 97 RBIs this season. They have also recorded 30 doubles and drawn 70 walks, scoring a total of 103 runs. The Rays currently boast an OBP of .331 and a batting average of .259, with a slugging percentage of .383. Averaging 4.90 runs per game puts them at 12th in MLB, while they have struck out 155 times (29th in the league) and exceeded 191 hits so far this year.
The Rays have a team WHIP of 1.285 and a FIP of 4.52 for the season. They rank 6th in MLB for total hits allowed, with 164. Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has surrendered 109 runs this season, carrying an ERA of 4.47 (94 earned runs). Their strikeout to walk ratio is 8.00 (168 strikeouts, 79 walks) and they’ve allowed 27 home runs, corresponding to 5.19 runs per 9 innings (24th in MLB).
The Rays rank 12th in baseball with a save percentage of 66.7%. This season, they have utilized 70 relief pitchers, with relievers entering high leverage situations 30 times and 22 times with runners on base. In 27 save situations, Tampa has achieved 15 holds and 4 blown saves from 12 save opportunities, netting 8 saves. Their inherited runners have a score rate of 42.9% with 28 runners.
Over 1,704 innings played, the Rays hold a defensive efficiency rate of 71.8% (4th in MLB). They have turned 10 double plays and maintain a fielding percentage of .973 (30th in professional baseball) with 159 assists, 20 errors, and 568 putouts this season.
Steven Matz has a career record of 63-62, sporting a 4.19 ERA and allowing 9.1 hits per 9 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is 3.24, having faced 4,368 batters in his professional career. He has given up 477 earned runs and holds a WHIP of 1.303 and a FIP of 4.1. In total, Matz has surrendered 1,039 hits and accumulated 961 strikeouts in 1,025 innings pitched.
Who will emerge victorious in tonight’s MLB clash against the spread or moneyline?
Prediction: Back Tampa Bay (+150)
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