Don't look now, but we have a thrilling and highly anticipated National League matchup in the world of baseball to kick off the weekend as the Philadelphia Phillies will meet up with the St. Louis Cardinals out on the diamond. It is time to take an exclusive look at our MLB odds series, where our Phillies-Cardinals prediction and pick will be revealed.

 

The Phillies enter play on Friday with a record of 44-39 which solidifies them in the third-place spot of the NL East standings. After defeating the Nationals 5-3 to win their second straight series, Philly will send out right-handed veteran Zach Wheeler and his 7-4 record with a sparkling 2.66 ERA.

Meeting up with the Phillies for the second time in the past week, St. Louis will be seeking vengeance as they dropped two of three to Philadelphia on the road. Now in front of their home fans in this series, the 45-40 Cardinals will turn to franchise legend Adam Wainwright who has recorded an even 6-6 record on the season with a healthy 3.26 ERA in 16 starts.

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

MLB Odds: Phillies-Cardinals Odds

Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+136)

St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-164)

Over: 8 (-104)

Under: 8 (-118)

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Why The Phillies Could Cover the Spread

Ever since the Phillies parted ways with Joe Girardi, there has been a sense of swagger throughout this clubhouse that has translated into wins out on the diamond. Kicking off this four-game series with the Cardinals this evening, Philadelphia has risen from the ashes to put themselves five games above the .500 mark. Whether it's making opposing pitching pay by sending a baseball 420 feet to dead center or blowing by hitters who are tardy on a fastball, the Phillies are hopeful that they can be a playoff-worthy squad the rest of the way.

To begin, the Phillies definitely look the part of a well-oiled machine on paper. Through their first 83 games of the 2022 campaign, Philly is the third-highest scoring team in the league with a lineup that forces pitchers to have to pick their poison. The Phillies are sixth in the majors with a .421 slugging percentage and are tenth with a .248 batting average.

A big reason for this offense explosion is in large part thanks to a career-year at the plate from LF Kyle Schwarber. The former World Series champion with the Cubs has already punished 27 baseballs over the fence and leads the club with 56 RBIs.

Pitching-wise, the Phillies can undoubtedly leave a team baffled as well. Not to mention, Zach Wheeler is in line for the start this evening as he has been arguably the best pitcher among the starting rotation for the Phillies. A rematch will be in line against Wainwright, as Wheeler got the best of the 40-year-old by scattering four hits and striking out five in seven frames pitched. With another dominant outing by Wheeler, the ‘Phils may have a tremendous chance to cover the spread as visitors.

Why The Cardinals Could Cover the Spread

Trailing the season series 1-2 against the Phillies, the Cardinals should be enthused to return home to Busch Stadium to get another crack at Philadelphia. While the hitting and pitching didn't seem to get on the right track earlier in the week against the Phillies, St. Louis is a well-constructed team that can wreak havoc on any given day. After snapping a four-game losing streak with a hard-fought 3-2 win in Atlanta to avoid the sweep, the Cardinals still sit only 2.5 games back of the Brewers for the top of the division leaderboard. Not to mention, but they are also in firm control of a Wild Card spot as we sit in the first week of July.

All things considered, this is a group of players that are fun to watch. Similar to the Phillies, balance is the name of the Cardinals game. A top ten squad at the plate and possessing a pitching room that ranks in the top half statistically in all of baseball, St. Louis contains a few weak spots on their roster. For this reason, St. Louis has a great chance to cover the spread at home versus the Phillies.

One intriguing aspect of this matchup will include the absence of catcher Yadier Molina, who has been sidelined since June 15th with knee soreness. Because of this, adjustments will have to be made on the fly as it has been Molina who has been behind the plate for 316 of Wainwright's starts. However, Wainwright is capable of dealing with the adversity. Wainwright has started the last four games without Molina and has surrendered only two runs in his last pair of outings. In 16 career starts against Philly, the future Cardinals Hall of Famer is 7-5 with a 3.18 ERA.

Final Phillies-Cardinals Prediction & Pick

This series should act as a good measuring stick for where both sides currently stand at the halfway point of the season. With an exceptional 24-16 record at home, the Cardinals will be tough to beat by multiple runs in this opening game of the weekend series.

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