Reds vs. Rangers: Game 3, prediction, odds, injuries and picks - April 2, MLB 2025
The Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers will wrap up their three-game set today, the second series of the young MLB season. It's a matinee game, so the first pitch is set for 12:40 p.m. EDT. The two teams have split the first two games of this set and today will be the decisive rubber match.
Reds and Rangers Recent Form and Records
The Reds enter play today at 2-3 on the season. They scored an impressive 14 runs in the opener against Texas but failed to score even one run against Nathan Eovaldi and the bullpen last night.
The Rangers enter play today at 4-2, a half-game behind the Los Angeles Angels for first in the AL West. They got dominated in the opener of this series but needed just one run to win last night.
Players to Watch
Starting Pitchers
Jack Leiter (1-0, 1.80 ERA, and four strikeouts) vs. Hunter Greene (0-0, 3.60 ERA, and eight strikeouts)
Jack Leiter was 0-3 with an 8.83 ERA, 31 strikeouts, and a 1.71 WHIP in 35.2 innings of work last year.
Last Start: Five innings, five hits, one run, one walk, and four strikeouts.
Career vs Reds: N/A
Hunter Greene was 9-5 with a 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 169 strikeouts in 150.1 innings last year.
Last Start: Five innings, three hits, two runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts.
Career vs Rangers: 0.00 ERA, 1-0 record, six strikeouts, one hit, one walk in seven career innings.
Must-Watch Hitters
Cincinnati Reds
Elly De La Cruz hit two home runs and went 4/5 with two home runs, seven RBIs, and 11 total bases on Monday night in his first-ever time using the Torpedo bat. He was largely silenced on Tuesday, but he's due for a bounceback.
Matt McLain leads the team with three home runs through the team's first five games, and he's hitting .300 with a 1.164 OPS in those first few games of the 2025 season.
Texas Rangers
Wyatt Langford is red-hot to start the year. He has seven hits in the first six games, including two home runs. He has three runs scored, two RBIs and a .304 batting average.
Adolis Garcia leads the Rangers with 14 total bases in six games played. He also has a .278 average, two home runs, four RBIs and a 1.159 OPS to carry the Rangers offensively.
Reds vs Rangers Baseball Betting Odds
Reds vs Rangers Expert Predictions
The pitching matchup leans heavily to the Reds even if Leiter was slightly better in the opening start of the year than Greene. However, the Rangers have the punchier offense. Coming off a 1-0 game, neither team is necessarily feeling good at the plate, though.
The Rangers have been better this year and have a better roster. They may have missed the playoffs last year, but this is a team that won it all in 2023. The Reds are on the come-up, but they're not quite there yet.
Prediction: Reds 6, Rangers 5