Baseball’s postseason is here at last. Only a handful of teams remain, chasing the sport’s biggest prize. The National League figures to be a competitive bracket, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves at the top.
Los Angeles came out on top in 111 games this year, the most of any Senior Circuit crew since the early 1900s. Meanwhile, the Braves came from behind in the NL East to earn a bye into the divisional series, as well.
One of the two pairs striving to move on are the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Redbirds won the fluffy grouping that is NL Central, while Philly earned a Wild Card spot.
These teams crossed paths seven times, before the All-Star break, with the Phillies winning four of those meetings. The latest installment will get underway at 2:07 p.m. on Friday.
You’re planning on betting on MLB, so let’s take a deeper look at this postseason clash before we check out the Cardinals vs Phillies odds and choose what we should bet on.
St. Louis is the only team representing the NL Central in this year’s dance, having won the grouping by a seven-game margin over Milwaukee.
The Cardinals have done very well in front of a friendly crowd, posting a 53-28 record at Busch Stadium. They finished the regular season with a 93-69 mark.
The Phillies closed out the regular season with an 87-75 record. In their final series of the schedule, they got a taste of what the playoffs might be like, having to face off against the American League power Houston Astros.
Philly has been so-so on the road this year, going a pedestrian 40-41. They went 4-6 over the final ten outings of the regular season.
Of course, Philly boasts Bryce Harper, who missed a good part of the season with a hand injury but is still the reigning NL MVP. They also send out Kyle Schwarber, who slugged the most home runs in the NL this season.
Cardinals vs. Phillies Odds Breakdown
With Cardinals vs Phillies odds, the bookmakers lean toward the St.Louis Cardinals. St.Louis is -1.5 on the run line at +200, while the Phillies are -250 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the St.Louis Cardinals are -115, and Philadelphia Phillies are a -105 underdog. The total has been set at 6.5 runs, with the over being -109 and the under -109 at the time of this writing.
Sure, Albert Pujols’ chase for 700 long balls was a big story for the Cardinals this year, but you can’t forget about Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. They both did a fantastic job at the dish.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview
It’s been shown time and again how much lights-out pitching can propel a deep run toward the title.
Wheeler as Starter
On the mound for the visitors will be Zack Wheeler, a 32-year-old righty who will look to make his mark early on. He went 12-7 this year, putting up a 2.82 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.
His last time out, Wheeler went 5.1 innings against the New York Mets. It’s been a while since he last threw, though, as that effort came on Aug. 20. He allowed four earned runs on five hits.
As of this writing, St. Louis hadn’t yet named a starting hurler. Let’s make some MLB betting picks.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies Picks and Predictions
Now that we’ve gotten the chance to really sort this one out and look at the Cardinals vs Phillies odds, what should we wager on in this one?
Who to Bet On?
Home-field advantage is typically a hot topic around this time in the campaign, and it will make a difference here. Not to mention, Philly’s starter might still be shaking off a bit of rust.
Look for the new-age pairing of Goldschmidt and Arenado to combine with the veteran presences of Pujols and Yadier Molina as St. Louis covers in Game 1. It’ll definitely be one of the more interesting MLB matchups.
MLB Pick: Cardinals (TBD)
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