Article courtesy OddsShark (@OddsShark)
With 48 games left to go in the MLB regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers (74-40) own a seven-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for the top seed in the National League standings after taking three of four games from the San Diego Padres over the weekend.
Next up is a potential postseason opponent in the St. Louis Cardinals (58-52), who will be visiting Chavez Ravine for the first of three games on Monday as consensus +155 road underdogs (bet $100 to win $155) on the MLB odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Los Angeles is a -170 home favorite (bet $170 to win $100) with a total of 9 (over -120).
Cardinals at Dodgers | OddsShark Matchup Report
The Cardinals are trying to stay in the playoff race, sitting just 1.5 games behind the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs. St. Louis is also currently in the top Wild Card spot and may have to play Los Angeles in the postseason if the team does happen to get in and advances.
The Cardinals opened a five-game West Coast road trip by dropping the first two to the Oakland Athletics over the weekend, getting outscored by a 12-5 margin.
St. Louis would figure to have a small advantage in the series opener from a pitching perspective, sending 28-year-old veteran Michael Wacha (6-4, 5.15 ERA) to the hill. But Wacha has struggled quite a bit this season overall, and he has gone a dismal 0-3 with a 6.88 ERA in his previous four starts versus the Dodgers between 2016 and 2017.
Opposing Wacha for Los Angeles will be 25-year-old rookie Tony Gonsolin (0-1, 5.63 ERA). In the first two games of his career, Gonsolin has surrendered seven runs (five earned) and nine hits in eight innings with no walks and six strikeouts. Out of the three pitching matchups in the series, this would be the one where St. Louis should have an edge.
The Cardinals have won the past five meetings with the Dodgers, according to the OddsShark MLB Database, with the UNDER cashing in nine of the previous 13 games between the teams dating back to the 2017 season.
The UNDER seemingly has a better shot to cash on Tuesday and/or Wednesday when Clayton Kershaw (10-2, 2.85 ERA) and top pitching prospect Dustin May (0-1, 4.76 ERA) toe the rubber for Los Angeles. May’s MLB debut finished UNDER nine runs last Friday in a 5-2 loss to the San Diego Padres while Kershaw may be due for a similar result after seeing his last four starts go OVER the total.
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