MLB matchup analysis

Reds vs Dodgers Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium · 10:10 PM ET

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Leo prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers moneyline

Lab Rating
6.7/10
Model lean
Dodgers 73.7%
Market probability
71.2%
Model edge
+2.4%
Best moneyline
-273
Sportsbooks checked
9
Leo model
73.7%
Market
71.2%

The case for Los Angeles Dodgers

Starting pitcher edge: 32 points
Leo gives Yoshinobu Yamamoto a 32-point edge over Rhett Lowder, driven mainly by WHIP (0.90 vs 1.49) and K-BB% (19.4% vs 8.2%).
Late-inning bullpen advantage
Cincinnati Reds relievers have a 3.12 ERA over the last 7 days; Los Angeles Dodgers relievers have a 3.86. If this is still close after six innings, that gap favors Los Angeles Dodgers.

The case for Cincinnati Reds

Their bats are hot: +0.041 wOBA
Cincinnati Reds is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 6.7/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Opponent is swinging it
The other lineup is +0.041 wOBA above its season form over the last 15 days.
Cold stretch at the plate
Los Angeles Dodgers is -0.017 wOBA below its own season form.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 9.33/10
Leo's win probability for Los Angeles Dodgers (73.7%) is well clear of a coin flip -- this is a real, stated lean, not a guess.
Pitching plan: 40/40
Yoshinobu Yamamoto rates 81 on Leo's pitcher score, judged on its own merits (50-80 is the credited range). That is a strong start on its own, and it earns most or all of the available credit here.
Offense: 17.31/50
Los Angeles Dodgers's recent form does not clearly outpace Cincinnati Reds's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 62.9%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, Leo's team-strength model alone makes Los Angeles Dodgers 62.9% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 32 points
The pitcher-score gap favors Los Angeles Dodgers by 32 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: +0.06
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward Los Angeles Dodgers. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 62.9% -> 73.7%
Team strength alone had Los Angeles Dodgers at 62.9%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 73.7% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict Worth monitoring, nothing more. The setup has pieces but does not add up to a bet at today's price.
Read the full model output

Los Angeles Dodgers remains on the watchlist. Lab Rating 6.7/10: conviction 9.33, pitching plan 40, offense 17.31. Leo projects 73.7% against a 71.2% no-vig market number, a 2.4% model edge at -273. Los Angeles Dodgers owns the starting pitcher edge by 32 points. Bullpen read: Supports Leo side. Los Angeles Dodgers's pen efficiency: Average (5.4/10). Lineup check: Los Angeles Dodgers is in a cold stretch (-0.059 OPS); Cincinnati Reds is swinging a hot bat (+0.105 OPS). Recent form leans against this side and is included in the unified run projection.

Final result

Reds 1, Dodgers 14

How the analysis held up

Los Angeles Dodgers won, the side Leo's model favored.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers), the starter Leo's pitcher score favored, actually outpitched Rhett Lowder: 7.0 IP, 1 ER (1.29 ERA) against 3.1 IP, 7 ER (18.90 ERA). The edge held up.

The Cincinnati Reds bullpen was flagged as elevated risk pregame (Tired). In relief it actually allowed 7 earned runs over 4.2 innings (13.50 ERA) — the risk read showed up.

The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen was not flagged pregame, but it had a night worth noting: 0 earned runs allowed over 2.0 relief innings (0.00 ERA) — quietly better than the pregame read implied.

Cincinnati Reds scored 1, 3.3 fewer than the 4.3 pregame projection.

Los Angeles Dodgers scored 14, 8.9 more than the 5.1 pregame projection.

Game information

MatchupCincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers
DateWednesday, September 9, 2026
First pitch10:10 PM ET
VenueUNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium
Starting pitchersRhett Lowder vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto
WeatherGame-time forecast: 90°F, 2% precipitation chance, 8 mph wind from W.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Rhett LowderReds · RHP
vs
Yoshinobu YamamotoDodgers · RHP
MetricRedsDodgers
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings56⅔
ThrowsRR
Leo pitcher score (higher is better)4981
ERA (lower is better)5.432.67
WHIP (lower is better)1.490.90
K/9 (higher is better)7.08.8
K-BB% (higher is better)8.2%19.4%
K% (higher is better)17.2%25.4%
BB% (lower is better)9.0%6.0%
BB/9 (lower is better)3.62.1
HR/9 (lower is better)1.21.0
Ground-ball rate46.6%53.6%
Fly-ball rate53.4%46.4%

Pitcher edge: Leo gives Yoshinobu Yamamoto a 32-point edge over Rhett Lowder, driven mainly by WHIP (0.90 vs 1.49) and K-BB% (19.4% vs 8.2%).

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Rhett Lowder strikeouts
3.3 Leo projected Ks
No K play · -0.3K difference is below Leo's 0.7K threshold
Market 3.5K · O -105 / U -105 · 5 books
7.4 Leo projected Ks
No K play · -0.1K difference is below Leo's 0.7K threshold
Market 7.5K · O -107 / U -110 · 5 books

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

Reds are 5-5 in their last 10 and averaging 5.6 runs per game over the last 15 days; Dodgers are 7-3 in their last 10 and averaging 4.4 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Dodgers carry the better run differential per game (+1.16 against -0.84).

MetricRedsDodgers
Last 105-57-3
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)3-7 on the road8-2 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.8120.696
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3530.315
Runs per game, last 15 days5.64.4
K% last 15 days (lower is better)25.7%21.1%

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 daysRedsDodgers
OPS0.7060.730 (-0.029 vs szn)
Runs per game4.45 (+0.263 vs szn)4.89 (-0.093 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.3110.324 (-0.010 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)26.1% (+0.6% vs szn)21.2% (+0.5% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Dodgers have been the better offense, 0.324 wOBA to 0.311. They are cooling off against their own season line (-0.010 wOBA). Reds are striking out at 26.1% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricRedsDodgers
Record69-7688-57
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.84+1.16
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.184.99
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)5.023.83
Season OPS0.7070.755
K% season (lower is better)25.5%20.6%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.6930.759

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 Dodgers are highlighted.

Reds
Combined risk
7.3 Tired
Fatigue
7.5 Tired
Efficiency
5.5 Effective
Dodgers
Combined risk
5.3 Normal
Fatigue
5.5 Normal
Efficiency
5.4 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.

MetricRedsDodgers
Fatigue7.5/10, Tired5.5/10, Normal
Efficiency5.5/10, Effective5.4/10, Average
Combined risk7.3/10, Tired5.3/10, Normal
Relief innings, last 7 days26.023.3
Back-to-back arms56
7-day ERA3.123.86
7-day WHIP1.381.16

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

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
Leo projection
9.2
Market total
8.0
Projected away runs
4.3
Projected home runs
5.1
Over price
-109
Under price
-105
Cincinnati Reds team total
4.3 projected
Line 2.5 · O -135 / U +115
Over research lean (+1.8)
Los Angeles Dodgers team total
5.1 projected
Line 4.5 · O -128 / U +120
No team-total lean

The model projects 1.2 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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