MLB matchup analysis

Reds vs Giants Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at Oracle Park · 3:45 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Reds vs Giants

Lab Rating
5.5/10
Model lean
Giants 64.7%
Market probability
51.1%
Model edge
+13.6%
Best moneyline
-110
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
64.7%
Market
51.1%

The case for San Francisco Giants

Starting pitcher edge: 11 points
LyDia gives Landen Roupp a 11-point edge over Nick Lodolo, driven mainly by HR/9 (0.67 vs 1.56) and K/9 (8.7 vs 7.1).

The case for Cincinnati Reds

Late-inning bullpen advantage
San Francisco Giants relievers have a 1.37 ERA over the last 7 days; Cincinnati Reds relievers have a 2.70. If this is still close after six innings, that gap favors Cincinnati Reds.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 5.5/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 9.0/10
The San Francisco Giants bullpen comes in high risk. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.
Cold stretch at the plate
San Francisco Giants is -0.009 wOBA below its own season form.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 4.83/10
LyDia leans toward San Francisco Giants, but not strongly enough to earn full conviction credit.
Pitching plan: 16.5/30
Landen Roupp rates 11 points better than Nick Lodolo on LyDia's pitcher score. That is a real edge, and it earns most or all of the available credit here.
Bullpen: 2.09/10
LyDia does not see a meaningful bullpen edge for San Francisco Giants here.
Offense: 31.15/50
San Francisco Giants's recent offensive form clearly outpaces Cincinnati Reds's over the tracked windows.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 44.6%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes San Francisco Giants 44.6% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 11 points
The pitcher-score gap favors San Francisco Giants by 11 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: -0.087
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: 44.6% -> 64.7%
Team strength alone had San Francisco Giants at 44.6%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 64.7% -- 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.

Game information

MatchupCincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants
DateWednesday, August 26, 2026
First pitch3:45 PM ET
VenueOracle Park
Starting pitchersNick Lodolo vs Landen Roupp
WeatherGame-time forecast: 77°F, 1% precipitation chance, 10 mph wind from W.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Nick LodoloReds · LHP
vs
Landen RouppGiants · RHP
MetricRedsGiants
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings55⅓
ThrowsLR
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)4960
ERA (lower is better)5.044.34
WHIP (lower is better)1.521.31
K/9 (higher is better)7.18.7
K-BB% (higher is better)8.3%11.5%
K% (higher is better)17.5%22.6%
BB% (lower is better)9.2%11.1%
BB/9 (lower is better)3.74.3
HR/9 (lower is better)1.60.7
Ground-ball rate51.6%59.2%
Fly-ball rate48.4%40.8%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Landen Roupp a 11-point edge over Nick Lodolo, driven mainly by HR/9 (0.67 vs 1.56) and K/9 (8.7 vs 7.1).

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 →

Nick Lodolo strikeouts
4.0 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · -0.5K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 4.5K · O -125 / U -101 · 3 books
Landen Roupp strikeouts
6.5 LyDia projected Ks
Qualifying projection: OVER 5.5K · +1.0K difference
Market 5.5K · O -128 / U +104 · 3 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 and averaging 3.5 runs per game over the last 15 days; Giants are 4-6 in their last 10 and averaging 3.3 runs per game over the last 15 days. Season run differential separates them by almost nothing (-0.76 against -0.55).

MetricRedsGiants
Last 103-74-6
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)3-7 on the road4-6 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.6110.680
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.2740.303
Runs per game, last 15 days3.53.3
K% last 15 days (lower is better)26.0%23.7%

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 daysRedsGiants
OPS0.653 (-0.041 vs szn)0.654 (-0.057 vs szn)
Runs per game3.66 (-0.390 vs szn)3.52 (-0.504 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.291 (-0.017 vs szn)0.292 (-0.020 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)27.9% (+2.5% vs szn)22.1% (+0.8% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Giants have been the better offense, 0.292 wOBA to 0.291. They are cooling off against their own season line (-0.020 wOBA). Reds are striking out at 27.9% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricRedsGiants
Record62-7154-78
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.76-0.55
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.054.02
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.804.58
Season OPS0.6940.711
K% season (lower is better)25.4%21.3%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.6840.656

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 Giants are highlighted.

Reds
Combined risk
6.1 Normal
Fatigue
6.3 Tired
Efficiency
5.5 Effective
Giants
Combined risk
9.0 High risk
Fatigue
10.0 High risk
Efficiency
7.0 Effective

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.

MetricRedsGiants
Fatigue6.3/10, Tired10.0/10, High risk
Efficiency5.5/10, Effective7.0/10, Effective
Combined risk6.1/10, Normal9.0/10, High risk
Relief innings, last 7 days23.339.3
Back-to-back arms66
7-day ERA2.701.37
7-day WHIP1.541.07

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
5.2
Market total
8.0
Projected away runs
1.8
Projected home runs
3.0
Over price
+106
Under price
-115
Cincinnati Reds team total
1.8 projected
Line 3.5 · O -130 / U +110
Under research lean (-1.7)
San Francisco Giants team total
3.0 projected
Line 3.5 · O -120 / U +100
No team-total lean

The model projects 2.8 runs below 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.

More games today

All matchups →

Every LyDia pick, graded in public

Free daily model card by email, or open today's full slate. Membership adds delivery before first pitch.

Today's picks Membership

Model outputs are not guarantees. LyDia provides analysis and education only. Every official pick remains visible on the Results page. 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.