Nationals vs Cardinals Odds: Basement Dwellers Meet in St. Louis

The Nationals vs Cardinals odds should see St. Louis favored in all three games of the series that begins Friday. For a team accustomed to winning, the Cardinals are having a very disappointing season. The Nationals vs Cardinals standings have Washington at 36-54 and St. Louis at 38-52. Both teams are in last place in their respective divisions. Seeing the Nationals in the basement isn’t a shock. Seeing St. Louis there is a bit of a surprise.

The Nationals haven’t officially named their starting pitchers for any of the baseball games in the series. But Trevor Williams could get the start for the Nationals. He was the winning pitcher against St. Louis three weeks ago. The Cardinals have elected to go with Miles Mikolas.

The Cardinals are -165 and the total on the game is 9. Mikolas is 5-5 with a 4.23 ERA, so he hasn’t pitched bad. The Cardinals are 9-10 when he starts and 3-5 when he starts at home. All three wins have been by a single run, so St. Louis is 0-8 on the run line with Mikolas on the mound at home. The Nats on the run line deserve a look.

Nationals Struggle to Score

The Nationals are No. 5 in Major League baseball in hitting with a .261 average. But the Nationals are all the way down at No. 26 in scoring. Washington isn’t getting the hits it needs. The Nationals are tied for No. 28 in home runs and are No. 21 in slugging percentage, so the team isn’t showing a lot of power.

The Cardinals are No. 13 in team batting average and No. 12 in scoring. St. Louis is making the most of its hits and is No. 7 in home runs and No. 8 in slugging percentage.

Both teams struggle on the mound. The Cardinals are No. 25 in team ERA. The Nationals are No. 26.

Saturday’s Game

The Nationals vs Cardinals odds will have the Cardinals and Steven Matz as small favorites over Washington in this game. The Nationals haven’t named a starter, although Jake Irvin is a possibility. Matz is 0-7 with a 4.65 ERA, so he hasn’t pitched as poorly as his record suggests. The Cardinals are 3-8 in the 11 games he’s started.

Irvin is 2-5 with a 4.60 ERA, so he might deserve a little better than a 2-5 ledger. But that Nationals are just 10-23 against left-handed starters. The 0-7 record of Matz could help keep the line down and the MLB score predictions have the Cardinals winning. St. Louis is worth a look here if the line is reasonable.

Sunday’s Game

The Nationals vs Cardinals odds have Jack Flaherty scheduled to take the mound for the Cardinals. Washington hasn’t named its pitcher, but Josiah Gray would get the start if the Nationals stick to their rotation. Flaherty is 6-5 with a 4.27 ERA on the season. The Cardinals are 11-6 when Flaherty starts, so he’s definitely the ace of the staff. He has pitched a little better on the road this season. St. Louis is 6-1 in totals when Flaherty starts at home.

Gray has pitched well for the Nationals. Washington is 8-10 when he starts despite allowing just 3.67 runs per game. If the line is high enough, the Nationals could offer decent value on the run line. Washington is 13-5 on the run line when Gray takes the mound.
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