We continue our coverage of Friday's MLB slate with another prediction and pick for this interleague matchup between two teams looking for some consistency. The St. Louis Cardinals (23-29) will visit the Cleveland Guardians (21-28) for the first game of three between the clubs. Check out our MLB odds series for our Cardinals-Guardians prediction and pick.
The St. Louis Cardinals currently sit in fifth place and are 5 games back of the Brewers in a tight NL Central Race. There's no clear leader in the division besides Milwaukee thus far, so the Cardinals should look to stay competitive in a division where anything can happen. They're picking up some steam and have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games. Matthew Liberatore (LHP) will be their likely starter.
The Cleveland Guardians are currently third in the AL Central and sit 4.5 games back of the leading Minnesota Twins. The Guardians aren't seeing the dominance they've enjoyed in recent seasons and they'll have to work for every win in this now-competitive division. They've been sliding as of late and have gone just 3-7 in their last 10 games. Their ace Shane Bieber (RHP) will get the nod in this one.
Here are the Cardinals-Guardians MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Guardians Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: -102
Cleveland Guardians: -116
Over (7.5): -118
Under (7.5): -104
How To Watch Cardinals vs. Guardians
TV: Bally Sports
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET/ 4:10 p.m. PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
The Cardinals really picked up their play since the season started and are now in a position to contend in their division. While they struggled to score runs through various stretches this season, the Cardinals' hitters rank fourth in the MLB in on-base percentage at .334. They've also been able to outscore opponents by seven runs in their last 10 games while maintaining a 4.14 ERA through that stretch. The Cardinals will look for Nolan Gorman and Paul DeJong to continue their hot hitting.
The Cardinals will march out Matthew Liberatore behind his 3.00 ERA thru just six innings of action. Typically a relieft pitcher, Liberatore will be making his first proper start of the season for the Cardinals. He's got a nasty slider and will hope to give the Cardinals a boost with his movement of pitches. They should be able to get the win behind him here if they can continue their momentum from last series.
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
The Guardians have had a rough last 10 games and are coming off a bad series loss to the rivaled White Sox. They won't be as enthused to be returning home, where they've posted just a 10-14 record on the year. Josh Naylor has emerged as their biggest bat with 7 HR and 32 RBI, leading the team in both categories. Jose Ramirez continues to get on-base at an alarming rate and will lead his team in this one.
The Guardians have built their team around their pitching staff and subsequently lead the MLB in saves with 19 on the year. They've been involved in a number of close games but have been able to come out as winners, holding on to their leads better than any team this year. Their ace Shane Bieber will make the start in this one. He's 3-3 on the year with a 3.08 ERA thru 64.1 innings of action. While he's given up 63 hits to batters, he's also been able to strikeout 47 of them. If Bieber is on his game at home, the Guardians should get a comfortable win here.
Final Cardinals-Guardians Prediction & Pick
The Cardinals come into this series as the hotter team, but there's reason to believe they won't sustain this kind of pace for much longer. It's shaky backing an inexperienced starter like Matthew Liberatore, so the smart bet would be to side with the pitching of Shane Bieber. The Guardians have been surprisingly bad at home this year, but a series with an evenly-matched opponent could prove to turn their fortunes around. Let's take the slight favorite to get this win at home behind their ace.
Final Cardinals-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Guardians (-116)
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