The St. Louis Cardinals will look to rebound after closer Ryan Helsley blew a 2-0 lead Friday in the ninth inning, when the Philadelphia Phillies poured on six runs before ultimately winning 6-3.
The Cardinals will have to take on another tough pitcher in Aaron Nola as they attempt to stay alive in the NL Wild Card Series. If they win, Game 3 would be held Sunday in St. Louis.
Let’s dive in to explore this Game 2 matchup to determine a prediction and find out best bets between the Cardinals and Phillies.
Phillies vs Cardinals Game 2 Odds
The Phillies are short road favorites to complete the sweep here. This is because Nola is on the mound, giving them a distinct pitching advantage over Miles Mikolas.
However, the Cards have a good enough offense to overcome a tough starting pitcher, so I wouldn’t rule them out in this one.
Phillies vs Cardinals Game 2 Prediction
Phillies 2, Cardinals 4
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Mikolas was one of the key pieces of this St. Louis rotation throughout the season. He was a workhorse, going 202.1 innings while posting a 3.29 ERA and 1.03 WHIP.
The crafty righty comes into this matchup in good form, allowing three runs (two earned) in his last three outings, spanning 15 innings. He’s also been dominant at home this season, putting up a 2.38 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 94.2 innings.
There’s no doubt that Nola has had an outstanding season, posting a 25.5% strikeout-to-walk rate (4th) and 2.77 xFIP (4th). However, he did struggle a bit in his lone outing against the Cardinals, allowing five runs over seven innings.
This is a bet on a home underdog trying to avoid the sweep, going with a competent starter on the mound to help offset the opposing ace. The Cards have one of the best offenses in the league, led by NL MVP favorite Paul Goldschmidt along with studs like Nolan Arenado.
Look for St. Louis to avoid elimination with a win at home.
Phillies vs Cardinals Game 2 Best Bet
Cardinals Moneyline (+104) at FanDuel Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
The Cardinals were one of the best teams in baseball in the second half, going 42-22 since July 25th. I don’t expect them to be swept at home in this wild card series.
We’ve seen Mikolas pitch well at home all year long, so we’re wagering on that to continue.
Phillies vs Cardinals Game 2 Props
Paul Goldschmidt Over 1.5 Total Bases (+155) at FanDuel Sportsbook
This is phenomenal value on one of the best hitters in baseball. Goldschmidt slashed .317/.404/.578 with 41 doubles and 35 home runs this season.
I understand that it’s a tough matchup against Nola, but the +155 odds are too juicy to pass up.
MLB Wild Card Props
Previous: Game 1 Pick
The National League Central champions St. Louis Cardinals host the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium this weekend during the Wild Card round of the MLB Playoffs.
All three games in the series will be in St. Louis under the new playoff format, taking place Oct. 7-9.
Let’s take a look at the matchup for Game 1 in order to make a prediction and determine the best bets and props between the Cardinals and Phillies.
Phillies vs Cardinals Game 1 Odds
Sportsbooks currently have Game 1 listed at a dead heat between the Phillies and Cardinals.
If the odds stay the same, Philadelphia is a great value due to their pitching advantage with Zack Wheeler.
Phillies vs Cardinals Game 1 Prediction
Phillies 4, Cardinals 3
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The Cardinals come in as the favorite to win the series, but the Phillies have a distinct advantage on the mound.
Wheeler will go Game 1 for Philadelphia while the Cardinals will go with José Quintana, who has posted a 2.01 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 62.2 innings since arriving in St. Louis. Having said that, the Phillies have the advantage here due to Wheeler’s track record.
Since returning from right forearm tendinitis, Wheeler has been sharp, allowing just one run over 15 innings in three starts. The 32-year-old seems to be in fine form for the playoffs and combined to shut out the Cardinals this season over 14 innings in two outings against them in July.
The Cardinals’ offense is nothing to sneeze at with NL MVP favorite Paul Goldschmidt leading the way in front of perennial All-Star Nolan Arenado.
That said, pitching and home runs win short series, and Philadelphia has the edge on the rubber.
Phillies vs Cardinals Game 1 Best Bet
Phillies Moneyline (-108) at FanDuel Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
Regardless of how poorly the Phillies played down the stretch, they have a clear pitching advantage in Game 1 with Wheeler on the mound.
St. Louis has the ability to win any game, but their lack of a true ace could be exploited in a short series.
Phillies vs Cardinals Game 1 Props
Zack Wheeler Over 4,5 Strikeouts (-106) at FanDuel Sportsbook
Wheeler has posted a 26.9% strikeout rate in 153 innings this season. In his last two starts, he’s put up 12 strikeouts in 11 innings.
The Phillies will have to rely on Wheeler in this series, so we can expect them to give him every opportunity to go deep in this game. All we need is five to six innings and he should hit this prop.
[pick id="107659"‘]
