Washington Nationals vs St. Louis Cardinals Betting Pick & Prediction 7/26/24
From Busch Stadium in St. Louis, we have the Nationals and Cardinals facing off in an NL matchup. The Cardinals are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -167, while the Nationals are at +141. The over/under line is sitting at 7.5 runs, and the game will be televised on MASN.
First pitch for this one is set for 8:15 PM ET, and the forecasted temperature is 83 degrees with light rain in St. Louis. MacKenzie Gore is starting for the Nationals, and he is facing off against Sonny Gray. Washington is 47-56, while the Cardinals are 53-49 and are 2nd in the NL Central. The Nationals are +141 on the money line compared to the Cardinals at -167.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS VS ST. LOUIS CARDINALS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Washington Nationals Moneyline +141
This game will be played at Busch Stadium at 8:15 ET on Friday, July 26th.
HOW TO BET THE NATIONALS VS CARDINALS:
- We have the Nationals winning by a score of 5 to 4
- If you’re looking for a run line pick, we also like the Nationals to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over
Nationals Records & Stats
The Nationals will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Padres with a 3-0 loss. This was Washington’s 4th straight loss. Heading into the game, the Nationals were at +134 on the money line. Things started off well for the Nationals, as they got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 1st inning without giving up a run. However, the Padres scored three runs in the 3rd to hand the Nationals the loss. Washington’s offense didn’t have a single hit and their only three baserunners came via walks.
Patrick Corbin got the start for the Nationals and took the loss. He actually pitched well, going seven innings and giving up just three runs on four hits. The Nationals’ defense didnjson’t help Corbin, as all three of the Padres’ runs were unearned. Washington’s offense also wasted a good performance from Corbin, as they didn’t score a single run.
Washington is 47-56 overall, and they are looking to snap a three-game losing streak today in St. Louis. The Nationals are 17.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East, and they trail the Mets by 7.5 games for the final Wild Card spot in the NL. So far, they are 16-15 in divisional games this year.
The Nationals have gone 5-5 across their last 10 games and dropped the final three games of their series vs. the Padres. This year, they are 24-29 on the road compared to 23-27 at home. As the underdog, Washington is 37-47 this year and 20-26 as the road underdog. Their overall series record is 13-18-2.
Washington has been a solid run line bet this season with a 57-46 record. They have been especially profitable as an underdog, going 48-36 against the run line. The Nationals have a negative run differential overall (-0.5 runs per game) and on the road (-0.4 runs per game), but they have been able to cover the run line more often than not away from home, going 30-23.
Washington’s games have had an average of 8.7 runs scored this season, and they have a 49-50 over/under record. The average over/under line for their games is 9 runs, but when the line is set at 7.5 runs, the over has hit 60% of the time (12-8). Overall, 78.6% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 7.5 runs, with just 1.9% of their games having lower lines.
Washington is sending left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the mound today vs. the Cardinals. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 6-8 with an ERA of 4.20. Gore’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.46. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in two innings of work. Looking back over his last three outings, Gore has finished with a no-decision in each one. He has allowed at least one home run in each of his last three outings.
Washington’s offense is averaging just 4.1 runs per game this season, which is 22nd in the MLB. They have also been one of the worst home run hitting teams in the league, as their 85 homers is the worst mark in the league. As a team, they are batting .237, which is 15th in the league.
CJ Abrams has been the Nationals’ top power threat this season, as his 15 homers is the best mark on the team and 14th in the league. He is also leading the team with 49 RBIs. Luis Garcia Jr. and Jesse Winker are also near the top of the team’s home run and RBI charts. Juan Yepez has been hot of late, hitting .389 with two homers over his last 10 games.
Cardinals Records & Stats
The Cardinals will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Pirates with a 5-0 loss. St. Louis was actually the slight favorite on the money line going into the game but fell behind big early, as the Pirates scored four times in the second.
Offensively, the Cardinals only had six hits but didn’t score a run. Their biggest issue was not having a timely hit, as they didn’t score a run until the 8th inning. Masyn Winn was the only Cardinals hitter to have more than one hit, going 2/4.
St. Louis will host the Nationals with a record of 53-49, which has them six games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. The Cardinals are 16-16 in divisional games this season. St. Louis lost two of three games to the Pirates in their most recent series.
At home, the Cardinals are 26-22 this season, and they are one game above .500 at 27-26 on the road. So far, they have been good as the favorite, going 28-24, and they are 25-25 as the underdog this year. The Cardinals’ overall series record is 17-13-3, and they have an even 5-5 record over their last 10 games.
When betting the run line, the Cardinals have been a better play as the underdog this season, going 33-17. They have been a .500 team against the run line on the road, going 27-27. Overall, they are 52-50 against the run line this season, with an average run margin of -0.4 runs per game.
When the St. Louis Cardinals play at home, the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs. The Cardinals have gone under the total in seven of their 21 games with a 7.5 run line. The over/under record for St. Louis this season is 47-52, and the average over/under line for their games is set at 8 runs. The combined run average for Cardinals games this season is 8.5 runs per game. The under has hit in each of their last four games.
Sonny Gray gets the start for the Cardinals today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win. Against the Braves on July 20th, Gray went seven innings, giving up five earned runs, and coming away with the win. Looking back further, Gray has made 18 starts, and his record for the season is 10-6. Gray’s ERA is 3.54, and he has a WHIP of 1.06. Opposing batters are hitting .215 off Gray this season. The right-hander has made eight quality starts this year and is averaging 11.05 strikeouts per nine innings.
St. Louis has been led offensively by Alec Burleson, who is hitting a team-best .289 for the season and has gone 7/21 with a homer and six RBIs over his last five games. Burleson’s 18 homers is 2nd on the team and 11th in the league. Nolan Gorman has also been a big power threat for the Cardinals, as he leads the team with 19 homers but is batting just .207 for the season.
Overall, the Cardinals offense is averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. As a team, they are batting .245, which is 11th in the MLB. One thing they have done well is avoid strikeouts, as their average of 8 strikeouts per game is 15th in the league.