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The Atlanta Braves take on the St. Louis Cardinals. Check out our MLB odds series for our Braves Cardinals prediction and pick.
Spencer Strider takes the bump for the Braves, while Jose Quintana starts for the Cardinals.
Spencer Strider has a 2.95 ERA. He has been everything Atlanta could have hoped for and then some. Strider has allowed more than one run in only two of his last 10 starts. Just 23 years old, Strider has evolved to the point that he regularly gives the Braves six strong and effective innings in a majority of his starts. It's worth keeping in mind that the Braves have never been able to get Mike Soroka back this season. Soroka was supposed to be a cornerstone arm for the franchise. Someone else needed to step up and provide a reliable presence in the starting rotation. Strider has been that man. He's a hard thrower, but there's a difference between throwing and pitching. Strider has demonstrated an ability to pitch around his fastball and arrange sequences of pitches to get hitters out.
Jose Quintana has been solid for the Cardinals since coming over from the Pirates. In his first three starts as a Cardinal, Quintana pitched 17 innings and allowed only five runs. He got off to a great start in St. Louis. However, he ran into a roadblock in his most recent start on Aug. 21. He gave up four runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Diamondbacks. It is important that Quintana bounce back and reestablish himself as the dependable starter the Cardinals will need down the stretch. The Braves offer a great test of his pitching chops. If he can pass this test, he'll enter September with considerable peace of mind.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Braves-Cardinals MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Braves-Cardinals Odds
Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (+126)
St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-152)
Over: 7.5 (-104)
Under: 7.5 (-118)
Why The Braves Could Cover the Spread
The Braves are scorching hot. It might seem hard to believe — or remember — but on the morning of June 1, the Braves were 23-27. They were not a good team in the first 50 games of the season.
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Then they took off, and they haven't come down to the ground.
Atlanta is 55-21 in its last 76 games. That is almost a 120-win pace. The Braves are playing as well as the Dodgers are. Since the start of June, the Braves, Dodgers, and Houston Astros have easily been the three best teams in baseball.
Spencer Strider has been terrific. He should merit a slight to modest edge over Jose Quintana if we are comparing pitchers. Given how well the Braves are hitting — Austin Riley and Matt Olson in particular, but also Dansby Swanson — they have to like their chances in what is a statement series for these two teams.
Why The Cardinals Could Cover the Spread
The Braves are red-hot, but the Cardinals are very hot as well, just over a shorter period of time. No one can touch the Braves' 55-21 mark over their last 76 games, but the Cardinals have been on a roll over their past 27 games, going 21-6 to flip the script in the National League Central. The Cardinals were four games behind the Brewers on July 31. Now they're six games ahead. St. Louis was just 51-47 on the morning of July 27. Now the Redbirds are 72-53 and reveling in Cardinal Devil Magic. Given the way Paul Goldschmidt is hitting, the Cardinals have to feel confident that they can shake up Spencer Strider. If Jose Quintana responds well to his poor performance this past Sunday, St. Louis should like its chances.
Final Braves-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
These two teams are both on a roll. Strider probably merits an edge over Quintana, but when two teams are both playing so well at the same time, it's not easy to make a pick. Stay away from this game, but if you insist on a pick, lean to the Braves.
Final Braves-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Braves -1.5
