Betting Overview
Both of the wild card playoff berths are creating some great late-season races. As the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays square off in a four-game series that will have a significant impact on deciding the AL wild card, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves try to decide who will win the NL wild card. The only way the Braves can make the playoffs is to hold on to the NL wild card because the Philadelphia Phillies have pretty much clinched the NL East pennant. The Cardinals only trail the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers by five and a half games and the Brewers have been losing more than it has been winning lately.
The Philadelphia Phillies were the MLB baseball betting world’s favorite to win the World Series before the season even started. With 16 games left in the season, the Phillies’ magic number to win the NL East pennant is four. While the Phillies are not in the habit of helping out the competition, if Philadelphia can take this series from the Cardinals then that would be a significant help to the Brewers and Braves. The Cardinals will be fishing contests from their schedule to try and win if they lose this series because St. Louis does not face the Braves or the Brewers for the rest of the season. The Phillies are just trying to use these last few games to get ready for a World Series run.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals send Jaime Garcia to the mound to see if he can extend his two-game winning streak in this extremely important game. His most recent start was a September 10th win over the Atlanta Braves where he gave up three runs on eight hits in six innings pitched. The final MLB baseball scores in games that Garcia starts are traditionally left up to the middle relief and closers. The Cardinals are hoping that Garcia can hang in there until the seventh inning, something he has not done since July 23rd, and keep the Phillies’ batting order shut down.
Philadelphia Phillies
At this point in the season, the Phillies are trying to see which pitchers can be called up in the playoffs in case of injury. So it is difficult to tell who will be starting this game on the mound for Philadelphia. It could be one of the top starters, a pitcher from the bullpen or a prospect from the farm system. The main concern for Philadelphia heading into the playoffs is run production. A lack of run scoring is what stopped the Phillies’ World Series bid last year, and the betonline reviews of the Philadelphia offense this year have not always been glowing. The Phillies may even change the batting order around and try some pinch hitters in different spots these last few games. The pitching is not an issue in Philadelphia. It is the hitting that could derail the Phillies’ World Series aspirations again.
The Bottom Line
The Cardinals desperately need to win this game. If St. Louis wants a shot winning the NL Central or the NL wild card, it is almost going to have to win out the rest of the season unless Atlanta or Milwaukee take a series turn for the worse. The Phillies want to continue winning to take momentum into the playoffs, but they also need to find that batting order which will win them the World Series this year.
Pick: St. Louis Cardinals
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