The St. Louis Cardinals will begin a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday at Citizens Bank Park. We're here to share our MLB odds series, make a Cardinals-Phillies prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.

The Cardinals are coming off a series where they won two of three against the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ballpark. Amazingly, they are 12-3 over their past 15 games. The Cards have won five series in a row. Now, they plan to go into Philadelphia and shock the Phillies.

The Phillies are coming off a series where they lost two of three to the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Ultimately, they finished off a road trip where they went 3-3. Philadelphia comes home with high hopes. After all, they went 7-1 over their past eight home games.

The Phillies lead the season series 2-1 after taking two of three last month in St. Louis. Significantly, the Phillies went 5-1 against the Cardinals in 2023 and 4-3 in 2022.

Miles Mikolas starts for the Cardinals. He is 3-5 with a 5.64 ERA. Recently, he tossed six innings while allowing three earned runs on four hits while striking out six and walking two in a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs. Mikolas went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out three and walking two in a no-decision last month against the Phillies. Overall, he is 2-3 with a 4.26 ERA in eight games against the Phillies over his career.

Aaron Nola starts for the Phillies. He is 6-2 with a 3.04 ERA. Significantly, he went six innings while allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out five and walking two in a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies in his last outing. Nola went six innings while allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out three and walking three in a win over the Cardinals last month. Overall, he has done well against the Cards, going 7-3 with a 2.54 ERA over 12 games.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Cardinals-Phillies Odds

St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-134)

Moneyline: +152

Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+112)

Moneyline: -180

Over: 8.5 (-105)

Under: 8.5 (-115)

How to Watch Cardinals vs. Phillies

Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Cardinals are improving, and their offense is also getting better. Currently, the Cards are 17th in batting average and 15th in batting average. But the Cardinals are still only 26th in runs, 23rd in home runs, and 21st in slugging percentage. Therefore, there is still work to do.

Brendon Donovan is the man at the top of the lineup and is batting .245 with four home runs, 25 RBIs, and 26 runs. Significantly, he has produced two straight multi-hit games. Paul Goldschmidt is starting to slowly improve after a slow start. However, he is currently still hitting only .224 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs, and 28 runs.

Nolan Arenado is also having a down season. He is batting .257 with four home runs, 25 RBIs, and 21 runs. Nolan Gorman has also struggled this season, hitting just .220 with 10 home runs, 25 RBIs, and 23 runs. Furthermore, he has clubbed a home run in two consecutive games.

The Cards still have inconsistent pitching. So far, they are 18th in team ERA. The bullpen is also similar. Ultimately, their relievers are 18th in team ERA.

The Cardinals will cover the spread if they can have a big first inning against Nola and make him work for every out. Then, they need Mikolas to have a good outing.

Why The Phillies Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Phillies are the best team in baseball. Substantially, their offense keeps humming as they are second in batting average and on-base percentage. Philadelphia also ranks first in runs, fifth in home runs, and fourth in slugging percentage. Thus, this lineup is as deadly as ever, with strong players who can do some damage.

Trea Turner is still out, but the Phillies have still managed to produce without him. Ultimately, Kyle Schwarber is still a threat. Schwarber is hitting .246 with 11 home runs, 35 RBIs, and 43 runs. Also, he has had three straight consecutive games with two hits. J.T. Realmuto is solid, hitting .284 with seven home runs, 20 RBIs, and 27 runs. Remarkably, he is on a 17-game hitting streak.

Bryce Harper is still a force in baseball. He is hitting .266 with 13 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 32 runs. Nick Castellanos is batting .208 with seven home runs, 24 RBIs, and 28 runs. Also, he clubbed a home run in his last game.

As good as their hitting is, their pitching is equally talented. Amazingly, they have the second-best team ERA in baseball. But their relievers are slightly more inconsistent. Therefore, they currently rank 16th in bullpen ERA.

The Phillies will cover the spread if their batters can get some pop and build some runs early in this game. Then, they need a shutdown game from Nola.

Final Cardinals-Phillies Prediction & Pick

The Cardinals are hot right now. However, they have not played anyone that is nearly as threatening as the Phillies. Philadelphia has also had its number recently. Moreover, Nola is an elite pitcher and will be ready to rock and roll. All those factors and home cooking might make it much easier to trust the Phillies. Plus, it is difficult to trust Mikolas, as he has struggled a lot this season. The Phillies cover the spread at home.

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Final Cardinals-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+112)