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The Atlanta Braves (2-1) visit the St. Louis Cardinals (2-1) on Monday night! First pitch is slated for 7:46 p.m. ET. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Braves-Cardinals prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Atlanta couldn't secure the sweep but still took their opening series against the Nationals 2-1 in Washington. After winning the division last season the Braves find themselves near the top of the NL East yet again, sitting in an early second place. As for St. Louis, the Cardinals dropped the opener but bounced back to take a 2-1 series win against the Blue Jays. The '22 NL Central champs find themselves in familiar territory to start the year, tied for first place in the division. This will be the first of six scheduled matchups between the National League foes. Last season they duked it out seven times with the Braves emerging with a 4-3 series win.
Here are the Braves-Cardinals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Braves-Cardinals Odds
Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (+125)
St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-150)
Over: 8 (-119)
Under: 8 (-104)
How To Watch Braves vs. Cardinals
TV: MLB.tv
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET/ 4:45 p.m. PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Braves Could Cover The Spread
Veteran Charlie Morton makes his first start of the 2023 season for the Braves tonight. This marks the righty's third consecutive season with Atlanta and 15th overall. The 39-year-old is coming off a solid showing in '22 when he went 9-6 over 31 starts. Morton couldn't quite replicate his master 2021 season and finished with a 4.34 ERA. That being said, he managed another solid strikeouts year, recording a 10.7 K/9, culminating in a WAR of 1.6. Morton started one game against the Cardinals last season and was roughed up on the road for four runs in just five innings. St. Louis knocked two out of the park while he could only strike out four hitters.
Atlanta managed just a single run in their game three loss to Washington but otherwise has started the season strong on offense. The Braves rank eighth in runs per game (5) and 11th in total bases per game (11). Atlanta features capable hitters up and down their lineup but they are still waiting for arguably their two best hitters to get things going. Right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. managed to go just 3/12 against Washington but he did clear the fences for a solo home run. The Venezuelan phenom has been limited by injuries throughout his career but is still just 25 years old and possesses immense potential. Third baseman Austin Riley, too, is looking to rebound after a rough first series that saw him go just 2-10 and fail to hit a homer.
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
Righty Jake Woodford gets the nod for St. Louis today after receiving just a single major league start last season. Woodford broke camp with the club and cracked the started rotation thanks to an injury to mainstay Adam Wainwright. The 26-year-old primarily served as a reliever at the big-league level but has extensive starting experience in the minors. His newfound slider paid dividends last year as he received minor league All-Star selections for his efforts. In 27 appearances last season Woodford recorded a 4-0 record to go along with a 2.23 ERA and 4.5 K/9.
St. Louis features a deep and loaded roster that found a lot of offensive success in the first series of the year. The Cardinals rank fourth in runs per game (7.3) and second in total bases per game (21.7). Additionally, St. Louis fell in love with the long ball early on, recording the second-most home runs per game (2). They've been fairly aggressive on the base paths early on, swiping the sixth-most stolen bases per game (1).
The Cardinals are led by arguably the most dynamic duo in the sport via Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. The two were atop the NL MVP ballot last season with Goldschmidt squeaking out a win. While neither slugger has yet to get one out of the ballpark thus far, both have been highly effective early on. Goldschmidt leads the club with six hits while Arenado hit .308. Although they both have extensive experience against Morton, neither has faired particularly well with sub-.300 batting averages.
The X-factors for the Cardinals tonight are their infielders. Both Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman have been red-hot to start the year. Donovan's blasted a home run on opening day and followed it up with a two-run shot last night. Gorman was quiet in the first two games before exploding for two home runs and four RBI in the game-three win.
Final Braves-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
St. Louis' offense looked electric and considering they're home underdogs we'll expect them to keep things close tonight.
Final Braves-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: St. Louis Cardinals +1.5 (-150)
