Red Sox vs. Reds Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for MLB Opening Day

The Boston Red Sox have high expectations in the 2026 MLB season after making the playoffs last season, and they find themselves as road favorites in their season opener against the Cincinnati Reds.

With Hunter Green (below) on the injured list, the Reds have Andrew Abbott (2.87 ERA last season) on the mound in their opener.

He’ll take on Boston ace Garrett Crochet, who finished second in the AL Cy Young voting and eighth in AL MVP voting the 2025 season, posting a 2.59 ERA across 32 starts.

The Reds also made the playoffs in the 2025 season, but can they repeat that success without one of their top arms for multiple months?

Let’s dive into the odds, a player prop to consider and a prediction for this Opening Day showdown on Thursday afternoon.

Red Sox vs. Reds Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Red Sox -1.5 (+104)
Reds +1.5 (-126)

Moneyline

Red Sox: -163
Reds: +135

Total

8 (Over -115/Under -105)

Red Sox vs. Reds Probable Pitchers

Boston: Garrett Crochet (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Cincinnati: Andrew Abbott (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Red Sox vs. Reds How to Watch

Date: Thursday, March 26
Time: 4:10 p.m. EST
Venue: Great American Ball Park
How to Watch (TV): WXIX - FOX 19 Cincinnati, Reds.TV and NESN
Red Sox record: 0-0
Reds record: 0-0

Red Sox vs. Reds Best MLB Prop Bet

Red Sox Best MLB Prop Bet

Garrett Crochet UNDER 4.5 Hits Allowed (-122)

Last season, Crochet allowed just 165 hits in 205.1 innings of work, allowing four or fewer hits in 13 of his 32 outings overall.

I love this matchup for the Red Sox ace, especially if he doesn’t work insanely deep into this game. Crochet threw just 88 pitches in his first start of 2025, but the Sox did ramp him up over 100 pitches pretty quickly.

The Red struggled against lefties last season, ranking 24th in batting average and 25th in MLB in OPS against them. That sets up well for Crochet, especially after he had a dominant postseason start, allowing just four hits and one run in 7.2 innings against the New York Yankees.

Red Sox vs. Reds Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, SI Betting’s Ryan Gilbert shared his favorite bets for Thursday’s Opening Day action in our MLB Best Bets column – Walk-Off Wagers. He’s backing the Red Sox to win outright with Crochet on the bump:

It’s a southpaw showdown in Cincinnati, but the Red Sox have the upper hand.

Garrett Crochet has established himself as a top arm, going 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA in his first season with Boston after a few strong seasons with the White Sox. While Crochet went 18-5, the Red Sox went 23-9 in his 32 starts.

Andrew Abbott also impressed last season, going 10-7 with a 2.87 ERA. He now has a 3.42 ERA through three seasons, but a 4.26 FIP , so he’s due for some regression, and he’s not near the level of Crochet.

Finally, the Red Sox went 24-21 vs. LHP last season while the Reds were just 21-23.

Pick: Red Sox Moneyline (-163 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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