The St. Louis Cardinals’ prospects looked bleak when they were 14 games under .500 on May 6. While the National League Central is weak this year, the Cardinals knew they had to get their act together quickly if they wanted to challenge for the playoffs. Anyone making St. Louis Cardinals picks has seen signs of life since then.
The Cardinals are 9-2 in their past 11 games and have moved within seven games of .500. People making Dodgers vs Cardinals picks were likely stunned by what happened at Busch Stadium Thursday night. St. Louis blasted seven home runs and won by eight runs in the first game of a four-game series.
The Cardinals will be eager to continue the momentum.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals Information
Los Angeles Dodgers vs St. Louis Cardinals
Location of the game: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Mo.
Date & Time: Friday, May 19, 2023, 8:15 p.m.
How to watch: MLB.tv
Dodgers vs. Cardinals odds
Anyone looking at Los Angeles Dodgers MLB odds will see the Game 1 loss didn’t impact their standing with bookmakers.
Moneyline: The Dodgers are -132 favorites for the second game of the series. The Cardinals are +112 on the moneyline.
Over/Under: The over/under is nine runs.
Dodgers vs. Cardinals Betting Preview
Anyone making Dodgers vs Cardinals picks can see that Los Angeles still has plenty of power in its lineup. The Dodgers rank fourth in MLB by scoring 5.53 runs per game. Los Angeles also ranks third among MLB teams by hitting 1.67 home runs per game.
The over has gone 23-20-1 in the Dodgers’ games this season. Los Angeles is also 11-9 away from home this season. People making MLB picks will see that three of St. Louis’ past five games have gone over the total.
The Cardinals haven’t struggled all season by scoring runs in MLB games. St. Louis ranks seventh in the MLB by scoring 5.2 runs per game. The Cardinals also have plenty of power where St. Louis finished sixth in the league by hitting 1.47 home runs per game.
Starting Pitchers
Steven Matz
Matz would likely like a few do-overs on his MLB player stats for his starts this season. The Cardinals have lost six of the eight games Matz has started, including his first six starts of the season. Martz has a 5.62 ERA in 41.2 innings of work and has 37 strikeouts against 16 walks.
St. Louis has won the last two games Martz has started, but he didn’t pick up the decision in either game. Martz has allowed 19 hits and eight earned runs during his three starts in May.
Tony Gonsolin
Anyone making Dodgers vs Cardinals picks will see teams are still struggling to score runs against Gonsolin. In four starts this season, Gonsolin has struck out 16 batters and compiled a 1.42 ERA. The Dodgers have brought Gonsolin along slowly since he returned from the MLB injury report in late April.
If Gonsolin continues to pitch well, he will be a big reason the Dodgers climb the MLB standings.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Predictions
While the Los Angeles Dodgers odds show that this has been an uneven start to the season by their standards, they still lead the National League West Division. After being embarrassed by St. Louis Thursday night, the Dodgers won’t want to miss an opportunity to grab a road win with one of their top pitchers on the mound. Expect Los Angeles to do well on the MLB schedule in order to grab a win.
While Matz has struggled this season, he has started to turn the corner by not allowing teams to plate as many runs. With Gonsolin pitching for Los Angeles as well, this game should sneak under the total.
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