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Gray and Luzardo face off in Game 2 in Philadelphia! These are two of the MLB's hottest teams, and both could use a big series win in this matchup. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Cardinals-Phillies prediction and pick.
Cardinals-Phillies Projected Starters
Sonny Gray vs. Jesus Luzardo
Sonny Gray (4-1) with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed zero runs on two hits with one walk and eight strikeouts through seven innings.
Away Splits: (1-0) 3.27 ERA
Jesus Luzardo (3-0) with a 2.11 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts through 5.1 innings.
Home Splits: (2-0) 2.01 ERA
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Phillies Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-164)
Moneyline: +134
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+136)
Moneyline: -158
Over: 7.5 (-122)
Under: 7.5 (+100)
How to Watch Cardinals vs. Phillies
Time: 6:45 pm ET/3:45 pm PT
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia/FanDuel Sports Network Midwest
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cardinals were inconsistent last year and barely finished above .500 with an 83-79 record. This season, they have started 22-19 and have won eight straight coming into this game. The Cardinals were a solid offense last season, but they have been red-hot and are the fourth-best offense behind the plate. Their pitching has been average and is slightly better than last year. Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Lars Nootbaar, Victor Scott II, Masyn Winn, Ivan Herrera, and Jordan Walker have all started red-hot behind the plate. The pitching has been more inconsistent on the mound, but Sonny Gray, Matthew Liberatore, and Erick Fedde have been standouts.
The Cardinals are starting Gray on the mound, where he has a 4-1 record, a 3.50 ERA, and a 1.08 WHIP up to this point in the season. He has allowed 20 runs on 39 hits with 11 walks and 47 strikeouts across 46.1 innings in his eight starts. Showcasing his skills as an ace, the Cardinals have gone 6-2 in his eight starts. He has had mixed results against the Phillies' offense. Stott is hitless. Harper and Schwarber have a .150 and .136 average against him, respectively. Bohm, Castellanos, and Turner stand out with a .455, a .278, and a .391 average, respectively.
The Cardinals' offense has jumped to being one of the best in the MLB early in the season. They are fourth in batting average with a .261 average after they had a .248 average last season. Donovan and Conteras have been the best players for this offense this year. Donovan leads in batting average at .318, in OBP at .377, and in total hits with 48. Then, Contreras leads in home runs with five and RBI with 23. Donovan has not faced Luzardo yet, but Contreras has a .286 and a .804 batting average and OPS, respectively, in seven ABs.
Why The Phillies Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Phillies were a great team last season, finishing with a 95-67 record. They have been solid this season, with the Phillies having a 24-16 record and having won five of their previous six games and two straight coming into this series. The offense was a top-five unit the previous season, and this year is in the top six. After having a great year last season, the pitching has been near the middle of the pack and not as impressive. On offense, there are sluggers across the team. Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Bryson Stott, Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, and J.T. Realmuto make up a loaded offense. The pitching of Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, Taijuan Walker, and Jesus Luzardo also makes up an excellent pitching staff for the Phillies.
The Phillies are starting Luzardo on the mound. He has a 3-0 record, a 2.11 ERA, and a 1.21 WHIP. He has allowed 14 runs on 44 hits with 13 walks and 51 strikeouts through 47 innings across his eight starts. He also has a K/BB ratio of 3.9. The Phillies are also 6-2 in their eight starts. He has not played much of the Cardinals' roster this year, but some results stand out. Arenado has a .200 average, Contreras has a .286 average, and Nootbaar has a .250 average against him this season.
The Phillies' offense was one of the best in the MLB last season, and they have still been great this year. They have a .257 batting average this season after finishing with a .257 average last season. Turner and Schwarber are the biggest standouts on a loaded and balanced offense. Schwarber leads in home runs with 14, RBI with 32, and OBP at .404. Then, Turner leads in batting average at .310, and in total hits with 48. Gray has had mixed results against Turner and Schwarber. Schwarber has a .136 batting average, a .484 OPS, and two RBIs in 20 ABs. Turner also has a .391 average, a .962 OPS, and three RBIs in 23 ABs.
Final Cardinals-Phillies Prediction & Pick
These teams are red-hot, they have aces on the mound, and the offenses are playing great baseball. They are playing too similarly right now. The Cardinals cover on the road, even if the Phillies win outright.
Final Cardinals-Phillies Prediction & Pick: St. Louis Cardinals +1.5 (-164)
