Two of the premier teams in the National League will give it another go in game two of this series as the St. Louis Cardinals continue their road trip at Truist Park versus the Atlanta Braves. It is time to check out our MLB odds series, where our Cardinals-Braves prediction and pick will be made.

 

After coming out on the short end of things by a score of 6-3, the Cardinals enter Tuesday motivated to even up this series. Dropping four of their last five games and seeing their road record dropped to 20-22, the Cardinals will be relying heavily on RHP Andre Pallante, who is a combined 2-3 with a 2.10 ERA on the season.

With the most wins in the National League during the month of June, the Braves have transformed themselves into a contender seemingly overnight. Looking to continue the party will be righty hurler Ian Anderson, who is 6-5 with a less than ideal 5.31 ERA.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Cardinals-Braves MLB odds.

MLB Odds: Cardinals-Braves Odds

St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-164)

Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (+136)

Over: 10 (-104)

Under: 10 (-118)

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Why The Cardinals Could Cover the Spread

The Cardinals threatened in the closing stages of the game yesterday, but a Nolan Arenado strike out and an Albert Pujols ground-on with runners on all but solidified the road loss for St. Louis. With a two-hour, 37-minute delay that no doubt through the usual hot bats of the Cardinals through a loop, St. Louis should be excited to get another crack at taking down the defending champs.

Throughout their recent rough patch of play, the Cardinals have not pitched very well. Their one win came against the Phillies when they had to out-slug Philadelphia in a 7-6 win. The pitching has struggled for some reason and it is a pattern that cannot be continued against a blistering hot Braves lineup. Despite this, St, Louis has maintained a 3.84 ERA.

Since joining the starting rotation last month, Pallante has recorded six starts and has not allowed more than three runs in any of those outings. This could be a welcome sign for the ‘Cards, as they could certainly use Pallante's steadiness during a time where solid pitching has been hard to come by.

This offensive lineup is sensational on paper. St. Louis is arguably a top-ten hitting team in the majors, as they possess the ability to club homers into the bleachers but can also string together hits and put traffic on the bases with their healthy .256 batting average.

With how well Pallante has been throwing and the Cardinals offense ready to burst after getting shutout on Monday, a second effort to down the Braves may be on tap later tonight.

Why The Braves Could Cover the Spread

A slow start out of the gate during the 2022 baseball season certainly was not going to keep this squad down for long. With the championship DNA pumping through their veins, the defending World Series winners from a year ago have officially returned to their winning ways. Even with the key departures and some major injuries of players from last season's roster, the impeccable triumphant attitude by the Braves has taken the baseball world by storm. Now at 47-34 and only 3.5 games behind the Mets for the division lead, Atlanta is ready to turn on the afterburners during the second half of the MLB campaign.

In order to come out on top and cover the spread against a pesky but talented Cardinals team, the Braves will have to rely on their hitting prowess that has carried them over their successful stretch. Tied for fifth in runs scored with 384, the Braves are led on offense by shortstop Dansby Swanson, who is arguably having one of his more successful hitting seasons to date. Swanson leads the club in average at .304 and also RBIs with 49.

While the offense has been hot of late, don't count out the untouchable arms that exist within the Atlanta clubhouse. With a 3.73 ERA, the Braves know how to give an opposing lineup hell. At first glance, starter Ian Anderson possesses the arsenal to leave a lineup dumbfounded even if his numbers suggest otherwise. After surrendering a career-high seven runs in just two innings pitched in his last start, the Braves will need Anderson to step up in a big way.

Final Cardinals-Braves Prediction & Pick

Both expected starters in this thrilling matchup have not faced off with each team, as Pallante and Anderson will be making their debuts against the Cardinals and Braves. St. Louis has struggled on the road, but they have a favorable matchup in this one versus Anderson who has been hit or miss as of late. The Braves may win all together, but it will be in nail-biting fashion.

Final Cardinals-Braves Prediction & Pick: Cardinals +1.5 (-164)