The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. Our MLB odds series has our Cardinals Diamondbacks prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Cardinals Diamondbacks.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are going to be one of the more fascinating teams to watch in the National League this season, for a few very obvious reasons. The main one is that the D-Backs are the defending National League champions. They have a target on their back and will become a “must play well against them” team for opponents throughout the Senior Circuit in 2024. Yet, while wearing a target, the D-Backs haven't established themselves as a dominant team. They were great in the 2023 playoffs, but they won only 84 games in the regular season. They knew they needed to get better if they wanted to return to the postseason. Not every year will 84 wins be good enough to play in October. The Eugenio Suarez pickup was a huge step in the right direction. The Diamondbacks do have a better roster than what they brought to the table last year. However, other teams have either gotten better or have given themselves a chance to improve.

Part of why the D-Backs made the playoffs last year was the triple failure of the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets do not look better than they did last year, but the Padres and Cardinals could very easily be 85- to 88-win teams in 2024. The Diamondbacks, if we are being realistic, probably need to win 88 to 90 games — if not more — to have a better-than-even-odds chance of making the postseason this year. Keep that point in mind as you trace the progress of this team. Being able to beat the Cardinals head to head would be a huge step in the right direction for Arizona.

Here are the Cardinals-Diamondbacks MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Cardinals-Diamondbacks Odds

St Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+146)

Arizona Diamondbacks: +1.5 (-176)

Over: 9.5 (-122)

Under: 9.5 (+100)

How To Watch Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks

TV: Bally Sports Midwest (Cardinals) / MLB (Diamondbacks) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: MLB.tv

Time: 8:10 p.m. ET/5:10 p.m. PT

*Watch Cardinals-Diamondbacks LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread

The Diamondbacks' pitching staff has a lot to prove. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are strong, proven starters, but when you get into the middle and back portions of the rotation, the Diamondbacks aren't nearly as solid. Brandon Pfaadt was knocked around on Friday night by the St. Louis Cardinals in Phoenix. Now Ryne Nelson gets his turn. The Cardinal hitters were slumping for much of the week, but Pfaadt couldn't shut them down on Friday in a subpar performance. Nelson doesn't inspire significantly greater trust than Pfaadt. Being skeptical of the pitchers at the lower end of the D-Backs' rotation is a very logical inclination right now.

Why The Diamondbacks Could Cover The Spread

The Diamondbacks got slapped around in the early innings of their Friday game against St. Louis before they came back and erased a six-run deficit. Expect them to start this game a lot better, take an early lead, and protect it. Arizona hasn't been playing its best ball in recent days. That might seem to be a good reason to pick against Arizona, but with a team this talented, it's only a matter of time before the D-Backs get on a roll. This is a good spot for them at home.

Final Cardinals-Diamondbacks Prediction & Pick

The Diamondbacks are going to play better. The Cardinals still carry their share of uncertainties, particularly in their bullpen. Take Arizona.

Final Cardinals-Diamondbacks Prediction & Pick: Diamondbacks +1.5