Reds vs. Nationals prediction and odds for Tuesday, July 4

The Cincinnati Reds look to stay in first place in the NL Central on Tuesday with an afternoon showdown against the Washington Nationals.

Cincinnati will start Brett Kennedy, who is making his first big league start since 2018, will face a rebuilding Nationals team that is starting lefty Patrick Corbin. The Reds have stormed to the top of the division with a vaunted offense, but getting improved pitching will help the team stay ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Here's our best bet for Reds vs. Nationals on Tuesday:

Reds vs. Nationals odds, run line and total

Reds vs. Nationals prediction and pick

It's tough to make sweeping conclusions about Kennedy, who has pitched to a 3.71 ERA in AAA this season, but this is going to be a play on the Reds ability to knock around Corbin.

Cincy is a top 10 team at hitting lefties, .260 as a unit, and face one of the most vulnerable lefties in the big leagues. Corbin has a 4.84 ERA, which doesn't seem as bad on the surface, but has allowed the most hits in the big leagues and is incredibly prone to blow up innings. Corbin's xERA is 6.21, hinting that he's actually been fairly lucky this season.

Cincinnati has been arguably the second best team in baseball over the last month or so. The team is second in runs scored since the beginning of June and over the last two weeks is second in OPS, trailing only the Braves in both categories. This matchup is ripe for a Cincy offensive explosion, I'll back them to get a win against Corbin.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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