 |
vs.
|
 |
St. Louis Cardinals (20-15) vs Chicago Cubs (15-18)
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 8:05 PM EST on MLB Network
Spread: St. Louis Cardinals -1.5
Money Line: St. Louis Cardinals -115 / Chicago Cubs +105
Over/Under: 7.5
Pitching Probables: Chris Carpenter vs Carlos Zambrano
Click Here for more Free Expert MLB Baseball Picks
The St. Louis Cardinals are at the top of the National League Central division standings which is pretty amazing given that tonight’s starter, and stand in ace, Chris Carpenter, has yet to win a ballgame this season. His numbers are not horrible but he has an 0-2 record and the Cards are just 1-6 when he pitches. The reason for their success is that almost everybody else (team is 2nd in runs and 3rd in ERA), save Albert Pujols, is grossly exceeding expectations this season. Especially outfielder Lance Berkman who is on a near Triple Crown pace. He probably can’t sustain that level of production but if Pujols and Carpenter start performing up to career norms they should be alright. I think Carpenter will get that momentum started tonight.
The Chicago Cubs are sputtering along – no surprise there. They open this series just a few games out of first place but when you look at their numbers it is hard to see how this team isn’t further back. They probably would be if not for the league leading 11 homers from outfielder Alfonso Soriano – another player experiencing the fountain of youth. On the hill tonight is former ace Carlos Zambrano. He may no longer be the most fearsome member of the staff but he has rebounded this year and has the most wins on the team. Another surprise has been the play of rookie second baseman Darwin Barney. He and slumping second year shortstop Starlin Castro are both hitting .300 or better (Castro was scorching until about 3 weeks ago). This is one of the most punchless lineups despite Soriano, making them very difficult to back right now.
The odds makers have the St. Louis Cardinals as a -1.5 point favorite with an run total of 7.5.
Check out the latest MLB Baseball Odds here.
Prediction: The Cardinals open their first series of 2011 with their oldest rivals with a victory.
Score Prediction: St. Louis – 6 / Chicago – 5
Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top handicappers.
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends:
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of St. Louis’s last 13 games
- St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis’s last 6 games on the road
- St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago Cubs Betting Trends:
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi Cubs’s last 9 games
- Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs’s last 5 games when playing St. Louis
- Chi Cubs are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing St. Louis
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.