2018 Cincinnati Reds Expert Predictions and Odds to Win the World Series

The Cincinnati Reds have been an absolute tire fire since finishing third in the NL Central and losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Wild-Card Game in 2013. Since that season, the Reds have gone on to finish fourth, fifth, fifth and fifth, which includes three seasons of less than 70 wins. The Reds have gone 22 seasons without winning a playoff series. And with the roster they've assembled heading into the 2018 season, that mark will certainly reach 23.

Last season the Reds finished with a record of 68-94, which put them in last place in the NL Central, 24 games behind the division-winning Chicago Cubs. Not much went right for the Reds last year, so this year a "bounce-back" year could be in cards (if you can even count winning more than 68 games bounce-back year). Essentially all the pieces are back from last year's team, which can't be a good thing considering how bad they were.

The Reds open the regular season with a three-game home series against the Washington Nationals before welcoming the Cubs to Ohio for a mini two-game set. From there, the Reds make their way through Pennsylvania for three games in Pittsburgh and three game games against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Reds are not expected to be competitive this year, which is why they are +20000 to win the World Series, +7500 to win the NL Pennant and +4000 to win the NL Central. Their season win total sits at 74.5 (-155 to the "over").

All odds are courtesy of Bovada.

Reds 2018 Projected Lineup

The Reds projected batting order features one of the best sluggers in baseball, Joey Votto. Unfortunately, the rest of the lineup leaves a lot to be desired. As of writing this, the Reds batting lineup looks something like this:

1. Billy Hamilton

2. Jesse Winker

3. Joey Votto

4. Eugenio Suarez

5. Scooter Gennett

6. Jose Peraza

7. Scott Schebler

8. Tucker Barnhart

9. Pitchers Spot

As you can see, the only "big-name" player is Votto. The Canadian is coming off a stellar campaign where he was named to his fifth All-Star team and proceeded to finish the year with a .320 average, 36 home runs and 100 RBIs. He also led the league in OBP for the sixth time and walks for the fifth time in his career. Votto is vital to the Reds production, and any slip up in form or numbers will likely lead to an even more miserable season.

Behind him, you will find Suarez and Gennett, the latter of which will be remembered for his impressive four-homer, 10 RBI game last season against the St. Louis Cardinals. Gennett finished the season hitting .295 with 27 home runs and 97 RBIs, which is far and away his best season in the Majors. Suarez, on the other hand, finished the season with a respectable 26 home runs and 82 RBIs. This one-two punch could prove effective when it comes to protecting Votto and forcing pitchers to pitch to him.

Further down the lineup, you'll find Peraza, who will play short, Schebler, who will play the outfield, and Barnhart, who will do the majority of the catching. This trio combined to hit 42 home runs and drive in 140, with Schebler doing the bulk of it (30 dingers and 67 RBIs).

This lineup is not a work of art by any stretch of the imagination, so it's going to take career years from some of the less-talented players for the Reds to avoid another basement finish in the NL Central.

Reds 2018 Projected Rotation & Closer

The Reds' rotation this year is once again questionable at best. There is no bonifide ace anywhere in this organization, so it will take a collective effort to keep the Reds from being the laughingstock of the league. Anthony DeSclafani pitched well in limited starts last season, posting a 9-5 record with a 3.28 ERA.

Behind DeSclafani, the Reds will rely on a quartet that includes Brandon Finnegan, Homer Bailey, Luis Castillo, Robert Stephenson and Sal Romano. Bailey is the most known pitcher out of the bunch, but he struggled mightily last year to the tune of a 6-9 record with a 6.43 ERA. That ERA was down from 6.65 in 2016. Castillo, Stephenson and Romano combined to win just 13 games last year while losing 21. In a hitter-friendly park such as Great American Ball Park, these pitchers will have their hands full trying to keep their team in ball games.

Another issue the Reds have is their bullpen. The closer for this season figures to be Raisel Iglesias, but how many games he will have the opportunity to save is the main question. Last season, Iglesias was able to convert on 28 save opportunities while holding opponents to a 2.49 ERA. His set up men will consist of Michael Lorenzen, Amir Garrett and Wandy Peralta. Once again, the Reds pitching staff from top to bottom is questionable at best.

Reds 2018 Predictions

FanGraphs projects Cincinnati to somehow improve by four games this year to a record of 72-90. This would put them "under" their season win total of 74.5. And to be completely honest, the under is one of the team totals I already have money on. The only legitimate way I see the Reds winning any game is in a high-scoring game where they can outscore the opponents. If they need to rely on a pitcher to hold the opponents to under three runs, I like my chances that it's not going to happen.

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