Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction for Wednesday September 9 2026

The Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers continue their series Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 PM ET with coverage on MLB.TV. Cincinnati enters at 69-75 overall and 33-37 on the road, while Los Angeles is 87-57 overall and 45-28 at home. The Dodgers won the series opener 6-3 and have won five consecutive games. Cincinnati has won three of its last five despite losing the opener in Los Angeles. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Check out our free MLB picks for more MLB predictions throughout the season.

Starting Pitchers

Cincinnati is scheduled to start Rhett Lowder, who enters at 6-9 with a 5.43 ERA and 1.49 WHIP over 116 innings. He has allowed 126 hits and 47 walks while recording 90 strikeouts and surrendering 16 home runs. Los Angeles counters with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is 12-8 with a 2.67 ERA and 0.90 WHIP through 165 innings. He has allowed only 110 hits with 38 walks, 161 strikeouts and 18 home runs. The statistical advantage is substantial for Los Angeles, particularly in ERA and WHIP, giving the Dodgers the stronger starting-pitching profile entering Wednesday.

Reds Face a Difficult Road Test

Cincinnati comes into Wednesday at 69-75 overall with a 33-37 road record. The Reds have won three of their last five games, defeating Milwaukee 12-8 and 5-3 along with a 7-3 victory over San Diego. Their two losses during that span came 10-7 against Milwaukee and 6-3 against Los Angeles in the opener of this series. Cincinnati has therefore scored at least five runs in four of its last five games, giving the offense some encouraging recent production despite the club remaining below .500.

The Reds are batting .230 with 608 runs, 1,105 hits and 194 home runs. Cincinnati owns a .309 on-base percentage and .399 slugging percentage. Its pitching staff has struggled more significantly, entering with a 4.67 ERA and 1.43 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat .251. Cincinnati has issued 592 walks and recorded 1,169 strikeouts. The home-run production is noteworthy, but the overall offensive efficiency and pitching numbers leave the Reds at a significant statistical disadvantage.

Cincinnati's best opportunity is to continue generating power and turn the game into a higher-scoring contest. The Reds actually hold a 194-175 advantage in home runs over Los Angeles based on the supplied team statistics, but that power has not translated into comparable overall production. Cincinnati trails Los Angeles by 103 runs scored and carries an ERA nearly a full run higher. Facing a team that is 45-28 at home makes overcoming those weaknesses even more difficult.

Dodgers Bring a Five-Game Winning Streak Home

Los Angeles enters Wednesday at 87-57 overall and leads the NL West. The Dodgers have been excellent at Dodger Stadium with a 45-28 home record and enter this matchup riding a five-game winning streak. Los Angeles defeated Cincinnati 6-3 in the series opener after sweeping its previous four listed games by scores of 7-5, 6-5, 5-3 and 3-2. The Dodgers have found different ways to win during the streak, scoring when necessary while also surviving several close contests.

Los Angeles is batting .256 with 711 runs, 1,240 hits and 175 home runs. The Dodgers have a .336 on-base percentage and .419 slugging percentage, giving them sizable advantages over Cincinnati in all three rate statistics. The pitching numbers create an even wider separation. Los Angeles owns a 3.70 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while holding opponents to a .220 batting average. The staff has issued only 443 walks while recording 1,327 strikeouts.

The Dodgers enter with the much more complete statistical profile. Los Angeles holds advantages in batting average, runs, hits, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts and opponent batting average. Cincinnati's home-run total provides one area where the Reds have an edge, but Los Angeles has been considerably more efficient overall. Combine those numbers with the Dodgers' 45-28 home record and current five-game winning streak, and Los Angeles has several paths to controlling Wednesday's matchup.

Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction

Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers Run Line -1.5

The Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 are the preferred side if the run line is available at the standard -1.5. Los Angeles has the stronger starting-pitching numbers, a 45-28 home record and an offense that has produced 103 more runs than Cincinnati. The Dodgers also own a 3.70 team ERA compared with Cincinnati's 4.67, while their 1.17 WHIP is substantially better than the Reds' 1.43. Los Angeles won the opener by three runs and enters on a five-game winning streak, making the run line more appealing than laying what could be a sizable moneyline price.

Pick: Under 9.0

Take the Under if the total is set at 9.0 or higher. Cincinnati's recent games have featured plenty of scoring, but Los Angeles brings an elite statistical pitching profile into this matchup, including a .220 opponent batting average and 1.17 WHIP. The starting-pitching matchup also heavily favors the Dodgers, giving Los Angeles a chance to suppress Cincinnati's recent offensive momentum. The concern is Cincinnati's pitching staff allowing Los Angeles to do most of the scoring itself, so the number matters. At 9.0 or better, however, the Under provides enough room for a game controlled by the stronger Los Angeles pitching staff.

Final Picks: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 and Under 9.0

This preview was completed before play on Tuesday. Starting pitchers, betting lines and other game information are subject to change before the game begins.