Cincinnati Reds vs Philadelphia Phillies Prediction, 5/18/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Cincinnati Reds vs Philadelphia Phillies

Date: Monday, May 18, 2026

Location: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Odds/Point Spread: Cincinnati (+162) Philadelphia (-196)

Citizens Bank Park is the site where the Philadelphia Phillies (23-23) will meet the Cincinnati Reds (24-22) on Monday. The line on this matchup has Cincinnati at +162 while Philadelphia is at -196. The total is 9. The starting pitchers will be Nick Lodolo and Andrew Painter.

Cincinnati owns a slugging percentage of .392 and have struck out 409 times, while taking a walk on 177 occasions. They have compiled 184 runs batted in as well as 340 base knocks on the year, and their batting average is sitting at .226. The Reds have accrued 67 two-baggers as a team and have hit 59 baseballs out of the stadium. They have racked up 197 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .311. As a team, the Cincinnati Reds are notching 4.4 runs per game, which ranks them 14th in baseball.

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The Reds are sitting with a team earned run average of 4.64 on the year (27th in baseball), and they have rung up 348 hitters. Reds pitchers have conceded 56 home runs in addition to 222 runs in total (26th in the league). They have walked 210 opposing hitters and their FIP is 4.88 as a team this season. Cincinnati has allowed 382 hits (8.5 per 9 innings) and also 208 earned runs. They have accumulated a K/BB ratio of 1.66 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.47.

Reds bullpen pitchers have entered the game with runners on 50 times as well as having 59 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have tallied 31 holds this season (5th in MLB). The Reds relief pitchers have recorded a save percentage of 60.0% and stepped onto the hill in 52 save situations. They have accumulated 12 saves on the season and have blown 8 of 20 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 69 runners on the campaign with 30.4% of those runners crossing home plate. The Reds have dispatched 170 relief pitchers to the mound this year.

The Reds have turned 70.5% of balls in play into outs in their 3,630 innings on the field, which has them sitting 12th in MLB. The Cincinnati Reds have accumulated 1,210 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 388 assists and 18 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .989 which is 7th in baseball, and have a total of 42 double plays.

Lodolo (24-23 career mark) has earned a FIP of 4.11 and he has gone up against 1,785 batters during his time in the majors. He has conceded 390 base knocks (8.4 hits per 9 innings) and has had 121 free passes. His ERA is 4.17 (194 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.222. Lodolo has pitched in 418 innings and is sitting with 464 punch outs during his career.

Philadelphia has hit 54 home runs on the campaign to go along with 184 RBIs. They have 62 two-baggers, while taking a walk 130 times and scoring 187 runs. The Philadelphia Phillies are sitting with a team on-base percentage of .301 in addition to a batting average of .235 for the year. The Phillies hold a team slugging % of .391 and they earn 4.16 runs per game (20th in baseball). They have been called out on strikes on 365 instances (20th in the league) and have earned 362 hits.

The Phillies have a team WHIP of 1.388 and have a FIP of 3.59 as a unit on the season. They come in at 30th in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 425. The Philadelphia pitching staff have given up 216 runs so far this year while holding a team ERA of 4.41 (197 earned runs relinquished). Their K/BB ratio comes in at 9.60 (430 strikeouts vs 133 free passes). They have relinquished 46 long balls and they relinquish 4.83 runs per 9 innings (22nd in MLB).

With 30 save situations, the Phillies have tallied 15 holds and 4 blown saves. Philadelphia has had relief pitchers step onto the mound in 15 save chances and they have come away with 11 saves. Philadelphia relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 31.6% out of their 57 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 41 times in high leverage situations in addition to 48 occasions with runners on base. They are ranked 5th in MLB holding a save percentage of 73.3%, and they have sent 160 relievers to the hill this year.

The Philadelphia Phillies have gotten 27 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .986 (17th in professional baseball). The Phillies have racked up 399 assists, 22 errors and are sitting with 1,207 putouts for the season. In their 3,621 innings played, the Phillies are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 65.2% (30th in the majors).

Painter (1-4 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 6.29 ERA while allowing 11.6 hits per 9 innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.83 and he has gone up against 172 opposing hitters so far in his career. He has given up 26 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.613 and being the owner of a FIP of 6.2. In his MLB career, Painter has allowed 48 hits while tallying 34 K's in 37 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Cincinnati (+162)

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