In an action-packed Tuesday evening around Major League Baseball, the San Diego Padres will travel to Busch Stadium to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in what should be a diaper dandy. Check out our MLB odds series, where our Padres-Cardinals prediction and pick will be revealed.

 

After going down in defeat to the Cardinals on Monday 6-3, the Padres will look to bounce back in a big way. Only trailing the Dodgers for first place with a 30-18 record, San Diego can gain some ground with a strong outing by lefty Blake Snell, who isn't too far removed from the injury list as he has posted a 0-2 record and a 6.00 ERA.

The Cardinals are in a very similar position standings-wise as the Padres, as they also occupy a second-place spot in their division and are trying to string together some wins in hopes to secure the NL Central crown. Getting the start for St. Louis will be the savvy vet himself in righty Adam Wainwright, who has compiled a 5-4 record with a 3.12 ERA.

Here are the Padres-Cardinals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Padres-Cardinals Odds

San Diego Padres: +1.5 (-182)

St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+150)

Over: 8 (-118)

Under: 8 (-104)

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Why The Padres Could Cover the Spread

Everyone in the baseball community was very aware of the struggles that the padres succumbed to in 2021, as their 79-83 record was a reflection of their mediocrity during the entire campaign. Now sitting with 30 wins under their belts, San Diego is well on their way to crushing its win total from 2021 in glorious fashion.

On offense, all signs point to superstar Manny Machado being an NL MVP candidate as the first two months of the baseball season have come and gone. Hitting an out-of-this-world .353 and also smacking eight home runs and raking 28 RBIs, Machado has certified himself as the most dangerous piece to this Padres' offensive onslaught.

As a whole, the Padres are an above-average hitting team statistically, which makes Machado that much more vital to the success of San Diego, as this would be a squad most likely struggling to find a way to put runs up on the scoreboard without him. On the season, San Diego has scored the 15th most runs in the league with 203. The best part of this offense's game may come down to their ability to be patient at the plate and to work the count, which in return has led to a highly productive .315 on-base percentage.

At the opposite end of things, the Padres may bolster one of the best pitching rooms that baseball has to offer. A 3.44 ERA that is sixth in the majors followed by top five rankings in WHIP and batting average against has been a huge reason why the Padres have been as successful as they have been. Not to mention, San Diego also possesses the most quality starts out of any major league team, as they have managed to pitch at least six innings 27 times.

Why The Cardinals Could Cover the Spread

In a measuring stick type of series against the Padres, the Cardinals checked off the first objective on their checklist after a gritty performance at home on Monday. Now six games above the .500 mark at 27-21 including a 14-11 home record, St. Louis will be eager to take the field this evening after being winners in seven of their previous ten contests.

While the Padres have Machado, the Cardinals may possess the hottest hitter on the face of the Earth in Paul Goldschmidt. The St. Louis first-baseman saw his hitting streak extend to 21 games after he hit a two-run moonshot that provided some cushion in the 6-3 win. Goldschmidt is absolutely on a tear to say the least, as his .357 batting average, 11 home runs, and 42 RBIs all lead the team.

When Wainwright first began his rookie season in 2006, many players who are just arriving onto the scene at the big league level were most likely still in diapers. Father time may still be undefeated, but don't tell Mr. Wainwright that. At the ripe age of 40, the longtime ace in St. Louis and one of the greatest pitchers to ever put on a Cardinals jersey is still baffling hitters at the plate with his impressive array of pitches in his arsenal. With an absurd 17  career appearances against the Padres, the seasoned veteran is 7-5 with a 2.73 ERA. In fact, Wainwright has only surrendered three runs combined over the past 20 innings that he has thrown.

Final Padres-Cardinals Prediction & Pick

This is as tough as it comes to choosing who to side with in covering the spread, but this one comes down to the pitching matchup. Both sides have the ability to hit the ball out to the Gateway Arch, but only one team will be able to pitch effectively. Expect Snell to continue the process of shaking some rust off after his time on the IL, as Wainwright should continue his recent stretch of dominance versus a top-heavy Padres lineup.

Final Padres-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Cardinals -1.5 (+150)