The Los Angeles Dodgers (28-16) visit the St. Louis Cardinals (18-26) for the first of a four-game series. First pitch commences Thursday at 7:45 p.m. ET. The Dodgers previously swept the Cardinals 3-0 earlier this year. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Dodgers-Cardinals prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Dodgers-Cardinals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Cardinals Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+108)
St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-130)
Over: 9 (-108)
Under: 9 (-112)
How To Watch Dodgers vs. Cardinals
TV: MLB Network, Bally Sports, Spectrum
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET/ 4:45 p.m. PT
*See how to watch Dodgers-Cardinals LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 8-2 (First in the NL West)
Run Line Record: 24-20 (55%)
Over Record: 23-20-1 (54%)
The Dodgers bring the league's hottest offense into St. Lous tonight for the first of a four-game series. Los Angeles won 15 of their last 18 games coming into tonight and came away with six consecutive series wins in the process. That includes a three-game sweep of the Cardinals at the end of May. The Dodgers dominated the Cardinals in Los Angeles – outscoring them 14-6. That continued their recent string of success against St. Louis after they won last year's season series 4-2. That said, this is an entirely different Cardinals team than they last faced as they won eight of their last 10 games prior to this series. Consequently, the Dodgers need to continue their strong play at the plate and get their ace back into a groove if they want to cover as road favorites tonight.
Southpaw Julio Urias (5-3) makes his 10th start of the season for the Dodgers tonight. The 26-year-old has been solid this year with a 3.61 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Although his high ERA is atypical compared to previous seasons, that is largely due to two poor starts at the end of April. He's been rock solid in the month of May – holding a 2-0 record and a 2.29 ERA. Although a road ERA of 6.10 is somewhat alarming, Urias is an established ace. The Cardinals present a tough match for the lefty but they have notably performed worse against lefties this season.
While the Dodgers boast strong offensive numbers for the entire season, they've been particularly hot this month. Los Angeles leads the majors in runs since May 1st and holds a 12-3 record over that span. Chief among those hot hitters are Will Smith and Freddie Freeman. Both sluggers have been on a tear this month. Smith leads the team with a .362 average and .446 slugging percentage over that span. Freeman's production is right there as well with a .344 average, three homers, and 14 RBI. Coupled with Mookie Betts' five home runs and 14 RBIs and the Dodgers boast three of the hottest hitters in baseball. Consequently, they should feast tonight against Adam Wainwright considering Waino allowed four runs in each of his last two starts.
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 8-2 (Fifth in the NL Central)
Run Line Record: 20-24 (46%)
Over Record: 21-21-2 (50%)
Don't look now, but the Cardinals may be back. Despite still sitting in the cellar of one of the worst divisions in baseball, St. Louis is surging up the standings. They won three consecutive series coming into tonight yet still sit eight games under .500. As a result, the Cardinals still have a lot to work to do if they want to climb back into the playoff picture. That said, St. Louis' offense has been scorching-hot over the last month – ranking second in runs since May 1st. Despite that, they still rank 16th in team ERA and an abysmal 27th in team WHIP. Consequently, St. Louis needs their bats to stay hot and their pitching to continue to progress if they want to cover as home underdogs.
Long-time ace Adam Wainwright (0-0) gets the starting nod for the Cardinals tonight. Waino missed the first month of the season with an injury but returned earlier this month. The early results from the 41-year-old haven't been encouraging. He threw five innings in both starts – allowing at least seven hits and four runs in both games. That said, Wainwright managed a 3.71 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 191.2 innings last season. While concern regarding his age may be warranted, his lengthy track record suggests a turnaround is imminent. Although he struggled in LA last year, he locked the Dodgers down in his lone home start. In 5.1 innings he allowed no runs and struck out five.
Final Dodgers-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
In a matchup between two of the hottest teams in baseball, I'm not going to overthink this one. Despite Wainwright's struggles early on, take the runs with the home team in what should be a tightly-contested affair.
Final Dodgers-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: St. Louis Cardinals +1.5 (-130)
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