Pair of Aces – Cincinnati Reds vs. Florida Marlins

Cincinnati Reds vs. Florida Marlins 7:05 ET

A pair of aces that will be in the Cy Young Award discussion deep into the season will lock horns in South Florida on Tuesday night, and BetOnline Sportsbook customers will have their chance to sink their teeth into all of the great sports betting action between the Cincinnati Reds (13-12, +$266) and the Florida Marlins (15-11, +$454). In the first of this two-game set, the Fish scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 14th inning on a throwing error. In spite of the 14 frames, the game easily stayed ‘under’ the ‘total’ of 7.5. Will the finale of this two-game set be the same way? The oddsmakers are expecting another pitcher’s duel, as the ‘total’ has been set at 8 over +100. The Marlins are narrow -130 favorites.

RHP Edinson Volquez will be getting the ball from Manager Dusty Baker on Tuesday night. If tonight’s game is anything like his last outing, Cincinnati bettors are in good shape. The ace of the Reds’ staff went 8.0 innings and only allowed one hit and one walk. After a pair of shaky outings to start the season, the Volq Man has been a monster in his L/3, as he has a 1.89 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. The Reds are 2-1 in those three starts. With the righty on the mound, Reds bettors have netted $106 this season. All things point to a solid outing once again from Volquez, as he is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his career against Florida, and has a tremendous track record for the month of May. Last year, he had a 1.63 ERA in 38.2 innings pitched in the second month of the season.

Don’t count out Florida’s right-hander either. Chris Volstad has been simply awesome for Marlins’ bettors since coming up to the majors in the middle of last season. The Fish are 4-1 in his five starts this season, earning $324, the 16th best mark in the bigs. In his career starts, Florida is 12-7 and up $897. His career ERA is just 2.83, while a 1.24 WHIP is equally impressive. No team has scored more than three runs off of the righty this season, but he has given up four dingers in his L/2 starts. This will be Volstad’s first career start against the Reds.

It’s hard not to like the ‘under’ in this game. Both Volquez and Volstad are incredibly sharp, and neither lineup has done anything lately to raise an eyebrow as cause for concern. The two bullpens are obviously tired after last night’s marathon, but the oddsmakers have adjusted this number far too much for a pair of aces. Cincy has played four of its L/5 ‘under’ the ‘total’, and has only surrendered 11 runs in those five games (eight of which came in Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh). Florida isn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard either, as eight runs in its L/3 games aren’t impressive. As long as the bullpens don’t blow it, look for another game similar to last night.

Rose’s Recommendation: 2* Under 8 -115

(Rating Scale: 1* – 5*)