Cincinnati Reds vs Arizona Diamondbacks Picks and Prediction for Sunday August 23 2026

The Cincinnati Reds visit the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Sunday, with first pitch at 4:15 PM ET. Cincinnati is 61-68, fifth in the NL Central and 19 games behind Milwaukee after Friday’s 9-0 loss to Arizona. The Reds are seven games behind the final National League Wild Card position and have lost three of their last five. Arizona is 68-61, third in the NL West and 10 games behind Los Angeles. The Diamondbacks are one game behind the final Wild Card spot and have won two straight. Build your bankroll with free MLB picks.

Cincinnati Reds Need More Consistent Offense

Cincinnati enters Sunday with one of the weakest batting profiles in baseball. The Reds rank 30th in MLB with a .226 batting average while posting a .305 on-base percentage and .390 slugging percentage. Cincinnati has scored 523 runs and hit 165 home runs, so power has helped compensate for the low average. Sal Stewart leads the Reds with a .259 average, 27 home runs and 96 RBI. Elly De La Cruz is batting .257 with 20 homers, 57 RBI and a team-best .340 on-base percentage.

Recent results have highlighted Cincinnati’s scoring problems. The Reds have lost three of five while scoring 20 runs, but nine came in Thursday’s 10-9 loss to St. Louis. Cincinnati was shut out 3-0 by the Cardinals and 9-0 by Arizona during that stretch. The Reds are 29-32 away from home and have a 4.47 team ERA, 1.40 WHIP and .246 opponent batting average, placing additional pressure on the lineup to produce.

Injuries: Brandon Williamson (60-Day IL), Graham Ashcraft (60-Day IL), Michael Toglia (OUT), Spencer Steer (10-Day IL), Blake Dunn (60-Day IL).

Arizona Diamondbacks Chase a Wild Card Position

Arizona has a more balanced lineup, batting .244 with a .318 on-base percentage and .399 slugging percentage. The Diamondbacks have scored 588 runs despite hitting only 127 home runs. Gabriel Moreno leads Arizona with a .308 average and .385 on-base percentage while adding 10 home runs and 63 RBI. Ketel Marte has a team-high 21 homers and 67 RBI, while Corbin Carroll has 18 home runs, 18 stolen bases and an .834 OPS.

Arizona is 2-3 over its last five but enters Sunday after consecutive victories. The Diamondbacks followed a 7-6 extra-inning win at Boston with Friday’s 9-0 victory over Cincinnati. Chase Field has also been favorable for Arizona, which owns a 37-27 home record. The pitching staff ranks 18th in MLB with a 4.18 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. Arizona has allowed opponents to bat .252 but has issued only 373 walks.

Injuries: Ryan Thompson (15-Day IL), Drey Jameson (15-Day IL), Tommy Troy (10-Day IL), Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (10-Day IL), Blake Walston (60-Day IL).

Pitching Matchup

Cincinnati Reds – Andrew Abbott

Abbott is 6-8 with a 4.07 ERA and 1.40 WHIP across 139.1 innings. The left-hander has allowed 129 hits, 66 walks, and 18 home runs while striking out 108. Abbott has worked deep enough into the season to provide Cincinnati with significant innings, but the 66 walks have contributed to his elevated WHIP.

Arizona Diamondbacks – Mitch Bratt

Bratt is 1-2 with a 4.17 ERA and 1.47 WHIP through 36.2 innings. The left-hander has allowed 32 hits, 22 walks, and five home runs while recording 25 strikeouts. Bratt has worked a much smaller sample than Abbott, with his 22 walks representing the biggest concern in his pitching numbers.

Cincinnati Reds vs Arizona Diamondbacks Game Pick

• Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona gets the selection based on its stronger lineup, home performance and recent results. The Diamondbacks are 37-27 at Chase Field and have won two straight, including Friday’s 9-0 victory over Cincinnati. Arizona has scored 65 more runs than the Reds while batting .244 compared with Cincinnati’s MLB-low .226 mark. The Reds have also been shut out twice in their last four games. Neither starter owns dominant numbers, but Arizona has the better team ERA and WHIP entering Sunday’s matchup at home.Take the Diamondbacks to win.

Cincinnati Reds vs Arizona Diamondbacks Over/Under Pick

• Under

A lower-scoring result gets the preference because Cincinnati has repeatedly struggled to generate offense. The Reds have been shut out twice in their last four games and have scored only 11 runs across those four contests. Cincinnati also ranks last in MLB with a .226 batting average. Abbott has a manageable 4.07 ERA across 139.1 innings and can help prevent Arizona from repeating Friday’s nine-run performance. Bratt’s control creates some risk, but Cincinnati’s recent scoring form makes the under is the play Sunday.