Expert Top Pick of the Day: National League Wild Card Game
The Dodgers and Cardinals have put up some incredible performances this year, allowing them to get to where they are. The Dodgers tied their own single-season record of 106 wins and has picked up 15 consecutive wins – another franchise record – playing at Dodger Stadium.
The Cardinals set a franchise record with 17 consecutive wins, a major reason why they’re now fighting in the postseason. Two of those wins came against the Dodgers.
The Dodgers have a shot at taking back-to-back World Series titles, something that hasn’t been done for two decades. This is going to be a highly competitive game between two of the strongest MLB teams from the second half of the season.
With only one shot at advancing to the NLDS, everything comes down to tonight for both teams. MLB fans and bettors are going to witness a battle from start to finish.
LA Dodgers vs St. Louis Cardinals Schedule
- Date: October 6
- Time: 5:10 PM PT
- Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
LA Dodgers Look For Second Title in Two Seasons
The Dodgers have an interesting starting lineup for tonight, but Max Muncy isn’t included. This means a lot of strategic moves are going to be needed, and Cody Bellinger could take his place at first.
The good news, though, is that Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and AJ Pollock are set to start. On the mound, Max Scherzer will get things going. However, the bad news is that Clayton Kershaw is out for the postseason, however long it may be.
Scherzer is 7-0 since he was picked up by the Dodgers and has a 1.98 ERA. This will prove highly valuable tonight, even if he has struggled a little as the season has advanced. Still, the Dodgers are 11-0 with him as their starting pitcher, and it looks like the team has everything lined up to put up some more incredible stats.
However, this season, the Dodgers went 4-3 against the Cardinals, which shows that St. Louis has figured out how to survive.
St. Louis Cardinals Hope to End a Drought
The Cardinals have had several Wild Card appearances over the past decade, as well as several straight-up division titles. Their last was in 2019, but they couldn’t go any further. The last time the Cards saw a pennant was in 2013, and this could be the year that they finally make it again.
The Cardinals are now fully healthy. They spent the last two months dealing with injuries, but the fact that they still racked up win after win shows a lot about the team. Starting on the mound tonight will be Adam Wainwright, who, at 40 years old, is still one of the best.
He has 17 wins and an ERA of 3.05, enough to put him in for consideration for the NL Cy Young Award. Wainwright will have some help on the field from Harrison Bade, with his 16 homers and 50 RBIS, and Tyler O’Neill, who has 34 home runs and 80 RBIs.
LA Dodgers vs St. Louis Cardinals Odds Comparison
The Dodgers and the Cardinals are ready to make history, but the Dodgers are expected to win. They’re the favorite at all books, with the Cardinals seen as a long underdog.
This is likely to be the outcome, but the Over/Under is a good target. At 7.5, backing the Over at approximately -110, depending on the book, is a good option.
- DraftKings has the Dodgers at -235 on the moneyline, the Cardinals at +190.
- FanDuel has similar odds to DraftKings – the Dodgers at -235, the Cards at +190
- BetMGM pushes the two a little closer. The Dodgers are at -222, the Cards at +180
Godds Pick or Prediction of the Game
This is undoubtedly going to be an awesome contest between two of the hottest teams in MLB today. The lines don’t necessarily reflect this, but looks can be deceiving.
The Dodgers and the Cardinals have never faced each other in the postseason, which will make this matchup more interesting. The Dodgers are still listed as the favorite to win the World Series, while the Cards are not getting a lot of support – they’re currently at 20-1.
If they win today, the Cardinals will see a huge jump up in the ranks
- Godds Pick/Prediction: The Dodgers win and cover the 1.5 spread. The Over 7.5 will hit.
