The Reds look to take back sole possession of the NL Central today in game 2 of a 3 game series with the St. Louis Cardinals. To do so they will have to get past rookie right hander P.J. Walters and limit the sizzling bats of the Cardinals offense. Yesterday the Reds fell 12-4 and surrendered 16 hits, the Cardinals season high. Johnny Cueto is on the mound today for the Reds and has been pitching the best baseball of his young career.

Johnny Cueto (5-1, 3.25 ERA) couldn’t have asked for a better month of May, going 4-0 with a staggering ERA of 1.59 through five starts. Cueto held opposing hitters to a .182 batting average, showcasing the endless potential the second year right hander has. Cueto is 3-0 with a 2.39 ERA in his last five starts against the Cardinals and has shown he can contain the leagues best hitter, holding Albert Pujols to two hits in eleven career at bats.

P.J. Walters (1-0, 2.00 ERA) has made two starts this year and has been solid so far. Walters has gone 9 total innings and given up 2 earned runs off of seven hits and four walks. Walters is averaging 18 pitches per inning and hopes to give the club five or six solid innings of work. Johnny Votto is expected to be in the Reds lineup and will be a matchup to watch for; Votto is batting just south of .400 in his career at Busch Stadium.

While the Cardinals bats have shown signs of life, I expect Johnny Cueto to continue his display of dominance. Watch to see how rookie P.J. Walters handles the clutch right handed bats of the Reds. Walters has posted a .167 average against left handed batters and a .250 average against right hander’s so far this year.

The betting line opened with the Reds as a -110 favorite and a total of 7.5. Since the opening, bettors have taken the Cardinals to a -118 favorite and the total up to 8.

PICK: Reds +108

It pays to ride trends in baseball and to go against Cueto right now is just crazy