MLB matchup analysis

Reds vs Diamondbacks Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Sunday, August 23, 2026 at Chase Field · 4:15 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Reds vs Diamondbacks

Lab Rating
3.6/10
Model lean
Reds 71.5%
Market probability
76.6%
Model edge
-5.1%
Best moneyline
-286
Sportsbooks checked
6
LyDia model
71.5%
Market
76.6%

The case for Cincinnati Reds

Starting pitcher edge: 11 points
LyDia gives Andrew Abbott a 11-point edge over Mitch Bratt, driven mainly by BB/9 (4.2 vs 5.7) and expected innings (5.4 vs 4.4).
Late-inning bullpen advantage
Arizona Diamondbacks relievers have a 6.20 ERA over the last 7 days; Cincinnati Reds relievers have a 4.40. If this is still close after six innings, that gap favors Cincinnati Reds.

The case for Arizona Diamondbacks

Their bats are hot: +0.032 wOBA
Arizona Diamondbacks is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days.
Team strength favors Arizona Diamondbacks
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's own team-strength model has Arizona Diamondbacks ahead (51.2% to 48.8%). The pick still comes from Cincinnati Reds once the pitcher and bullpen terms are applied.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 3.6/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 6.9/10
The Cincinnati Reds bullpen comes in tired. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.
Opponent is swinging it
The other lineup is +0.032 wOBA above its season form over the last 15 days.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 8.27/10
LyDia's win probability for Cincinnati Reds (71.5%) is well clear of a coin flip -- this is a real, stated lean, not a guess.
Pitching plan: 13/20
Andrew Abbott rates 11 points better than Mitch Bratt on LyDia's pitcher score. That is a real edge, and it earns most or all of the available credit here.
Bullpen: 13.08/20
Cincinnati Reds's bullpen carries a real edge over Arizona Diamondbacks's tonight.
Offense: 1.98/50
Cincinnati Reds's recent form does not clearly outpace Arizona Diamondbacks's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 48.8%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes Cincinnati Reds 48.8% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 13 points
The pitcher-score gap favors Cincinnati Reds by 13 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: +0.045
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward Cincinnati Reds. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 48.8% -> 71.5%
Team strength alone had Cincinnati Reds at 48.8%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 71.5% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict LyDia passes. The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Read the full model output

The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.

Final result

Reds 3, Diamondbacks 5

How the analysis held up

Arizona Diamondbacks won. LyDia's model favored the other side.

LyDia's two internal reads disagreed pregame by 56.9 points — the team-strength model favored Cincinnati Reds, the run-projection model favored Arizona Diamondbacks. The run-projection model had the winner here.

Andrew Abbott (Cincinnati Reds), the starter LyDia's pitcher score favored, actually outpitched Mitch Bratt: 6.0 IP, 4 ER (6.00 ERA) against 3.0 IP, 3 ER (9.00 ERA). The edge held up. Neither starter actually pitched well tonight, though — this is a smaller-of-two-bads comparison, not a starter who dealt.

The Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen was flagged as elevated risk pregame (High risk). In relief it actually allowed 0 earned runs over 6.0 innings (0.00 ERA) — the risk read did not show up on the scoreboard tonight.

Likely driver: Andrew Abbott, the pick's own starter, was rocked for a 6.00 ERA, and the Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen quietly shut the game down (0.00 ERA over 6.0 innings).

Game information

MatchupCincinnati Reds at Arizona Diamondbacks
DateSunday, August 23, 2026
First pitch4:15 PM ET
VenueChase Field
Starting pitchersAndrew Abbott vs Mitch Bratt
WeatherGame-time forecast: 110°F, 1% precipitation chance, 8 mph wind from NW. This venue has a roof, but the roof status is not confirmed.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Andrew AbbottReds · LHP
vs
Mitch BrattDiamondbacks · LHP
MetricRedsDiamondbacks
Pitching planTraditional starterLimited starter
Expected innings5⅓4⅓
ThrowsLL
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)5847
ERA (lower is better)4.154.54
WHIP (lower is better)1.401.56
K/9 (higher is better)7.16.4
K-BB% (higher is better)7.3%1.7%
K% (higher is better)18.1%15.9%
BB% (lower is better)10.8%14.2%
BB/9 (lower is better)4.25.7
HR/9 (lower is better)1.11.1
Ground-ball rate43.2%29.4%
Fly-ball rate56.8%70.6%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Andrew Abbott a 11-point edge over Mitch Bratt, driven mainly by BB/9 (4.2 vs 5.7) and expected innings (5.4 vs 4.4).

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table. Highlighted cells mark a gap big enough to matter. K% and BB% are strikeout and walk rate as a share of batters faced -- K-BB% is the two combined into one skill number. HR/9 is home runs allowed per nine innings. Ground-ball and fly-ball rate are neither good nor bad on their own: high ground-ball pitchers trade strikeouts for double plays and fewer home runs, and on this data source the two rates are complementary (they add to 100%), not independent reads.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Andrew Abbott strikeouts
2.9 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · -0.6K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 3.5K · O +110 / U -132 · 6 books
Mitch Bratt strikeouts
5.5 LyDia projected Ks
Official pick: OVER 3.5K · +1.9K difference
Market 3.5K · O -147 / U +134 · 6 books

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Reds are 3-7 in their last 10, averaging 3.6 runs per game over the last 15 days, and hitting below their season form; Diamondbacks are 5-5 in their last 10, averaging 4.7 runs per game over the last 15 days, and swinging above their season form. On the season Diamondbacks carry the better run differential per game (+0.07 against -0.72).

MetricRedsDiamondbacks
Last 103-75-5
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)4-6 on the road5-5 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.6120.799
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.2740.349
Runs per game, last 15 days3.64.7
K% last 15 days (lower is better)25.7%17.8%

Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.

30-day offense

Full offense tool →
Last 30 daysRedsDiamondbacks
OPS0.664 (-0.035 vs szn)0.754 (+0.035 vs szn)
Runs per game3.80 (-0.299 vs szn)4.71 (+0.149 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.296 (-0.014 vs szn)0.332 (+0.015 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)28.3% (+2.9% vs szn)17.8% (-1.3% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Diamondbacks have been the better offense, 0.332 wOBA to 0.296. They are running hot against their own season line (+0.015 wOBA). Reds are striking out at 28.3% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricRedsDiamondbacks
Record62-6969-62
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.72+0.07
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.104.56
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.824.50
Season OPS0.6990.719
K% season (lower is better)25.4%19.2%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7380.798

Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Reds and Diamondbacks are highlighted.

Reds
Combined risk
6.9 Tired
Fatigue
6.5 Tired
Efficiency
4.2 Below average
Diamondbacks
Combined risk
8.4 High risk
Fatigue
7.5 Tired
Efficiency
3.3 Below average

Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.

MetricRedsDiamondbacks
Fatigue6.5/10, Tired7.5/10, Tired
Efficiency4.2/10, Below average3.3/10, Below average
Combined risk6.9/10, Tired8.4/10, High risk
Relief innings, last 7 days28.724.7
Back-to-back arms55
7-day ERA4.406.20
7-day WHIP1.741.66

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
LyDia projection
10.0
Market total
7.5
Projected away runs
4.2
Projected home runs
5.3
Over price
-104
Under price
-115
Cincinnati Reds team total
4.2 projected
Line 4.5 · O -135 / U +130
No team-total lean
Arizona Diamondbacks team total
5.3 projected
Line 2.5 · O +115 / U -120
Over research lean (+2.8)

The model projects 2.5 runs above the market total. A research lean still requires a setup rating of at least 7.0/10. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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