Reds vs. Dodgers Prediction: Why the Dodgers Run Line Is Tuesday’s Best Bet

The Cincinnati Reds (69-75) and Los Angeles Dodgers (87-57) meet in Southern California on Tuesday night at 10:10 p.m. ET in the middle contest of a three-game set.

Los Angeles doubled up Cincinnati 6-3 as a heavy favorite (-188) in Monday’s series opener, as the Dodgers made quick work for RHP Chase Burns. And, with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Dodgers flipped the Under to an Over.

It wasn’t all bad for the Reds, as they had three batters with at least two hits, including RF Hector Rodriguez and SS Elly De La Cruz going 4 for 8 in the first two spots of the order. De La Cruz had a solo homer, too, his 24th round-tripper of the season.

The Dodgers managed just three hits, and LF Teoscar Hernandez did most of the damage by going 2 for 3 with a home run, a walk, two runs scored and three RBIs. He also swiped his second base of the season, too.

On Tuesday, it’s a battle of southpaws, as LHP Nick Lodolo (3-3, 5.08 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) makes his 18th start for Cincinnati, and he is just 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA (33 IP, 22 ER) and a 1.67 WHIP across seven road outings. The Dodgers counter with LHP Tarik Skubal (8-7, 2.86 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) in 22 starts, including a 1-2 mark with a 3.03 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in six starts since coming over from the Detroit Tigers.

Inside Tuesday's matchup

The Reds are in last place, and they’re 12-13 against NL West opponents. Cincinnati is also 16-19 against left-handed starting pitchers this season. The Reds are a respectable 33-37 on the road, but they’re all but eliminated from the postseason.

The Dodgers have posted a 45-28 record at home, while it has a plus-155 run differential, the second-best mark in the majors. L.A. enters play with five consecutive victories, but they’re just 13-13 against the NL Central. L.A. is 27-21 vs. LHP this season, too.

In this series, Los Angeles has won six consecutive meetings since Aug. 25, 2025, outscoring Cincinnati 42-16. The Over is 4-1 in the past five meetings at Dodger Stadium, too, including a two-game sweep in the National League Wild Card Series last season.

The best play in this game is loading up on the home side, going DODGERS -1.5 (-152) on the run line, and if you’re really adventurous, Dodgers -2.5 (+108) at plus-money is worth a look.

It’s not a bad idea to bank on L.A. jumping all over Lodolo, too. The DODGERS -1.5 (-110) - FIRST 5 INNINGS is a strong play, as Skubal looks to keep the Reds bats at bay. As far as the total is concerned, UNDER 8.5 (-128) is a nice option, too.

A three-way same-game parlay (SGP) with Dodgers -2.5, Dodgers -1.5 - first 5 innings and Under 8.5 runs will help you multiply up more than 4 ½ times.