Athletics vs. Reds Odds & Betting Predictions - August 29, 2024

Follow On X: https://x.com/PicksOffice J.T. Ginn makes his first major league start, having pitched 3.2 innings in relief with a good 2.45 ERA, but the experience at this level is minimal in his case. On the other side, Reds' Julian Aguiar has only two starts under his belt with a 3.60 ERA, but his underpinning metrics are worrisome. His xERA was 7.22 with a xBA of .256, tallied well below the league average, clearly showing him to be a pitcher that opposing hitters can take advantage of. Still, Aguiar's 38.7% hard-hit rate—a strongly hit ball—and minuscule whiff percentage at 18.8% further suggest that batters are making solid contact, a very dangerous proposition in the very hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park, known to be friendly to both home runs and runs in general. All the more signs that this one has a good chance to get over that 10.5 are how the Oakland Athletics are scoring runs in bunches again of late. The A's have scored 18 runs in their previous three games, led by Seth Brown, who has hit two home runs to go with four RBIs in recent games. Also, Brent Rooker has stayed in a nice power groove with 13 homers since September 1 and 31 for the season—good for a .925 OPS. Not only have the Reds struggled this season, but they did finally show some life with a six-run inning in their last game, proving they are capable of contributing to the over. Neither of these bullpens is close to trustworthy, either. The Reds have had an absolute disaster of a bullpen of late, ranking with a 6.62 ERA across their last three games, along with a 1.30 WHIP, demonstrating that they continue to allow too many runners on base. In that span, the bullpen of the Athletics hasn't been much better, recording a 4.82 ERA with a very alarming 1.66 WHIP. With the inexperience and possible struggles of the starting pitchers, there's a good chance these struggling bullpens will be relied on early, which would turn this into a high-scoring game. That's combined with a hitter-friendly ballpark, and an offensive spree by these two teams lately, with unpredictable bullpens-ripple over quite nicely into taking the over at 10.5 here. If there is one thing this matchup could be assured of, it would be a multitude of extra-base hits and homers.