Sign In $
MLB

2020 MLB St. Louis Cardinals World Series Odds & Picks

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read

St. Louis Cardinals Likely to Post a
Winning Record for the 13th Straight Season

The Cardinals have been one of the best teams in baseball for the last two decades, and they made their return to the playoffs in 2019. St. Louis won the NL Central with a 91-71 record, and the Cardinals edged the favored Atlanta Braves in the Divisional Round to make it back to the NLCS.

Unfortunately, they were swept by the Washington Nationals in that round, scoring just six runs in four games.

2020 St. Louis Cardinals World Series
Betting Online Odds at FanDuel: +2300

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

2020 St. Louis Cardinals Season
World Series Odds Overview

St. Louis has the lowest odds to win the World Series of any team in the NL Central at FanDuel. The Cardinals brought back virtually their entire roster from last season, so they could be even better than they were in 2019 as younger players like Paul DeJong and Harrison Bader continue to develop.

National League Central

Oddsmakers have the Cardinals tied with the Cubs as the NL Central favorites with odds of +220 to win the division. The two long-time rivals are the traditional frontrunners in the division, but the Cardinals have had far more success than the Cubs historically. The Reds and Brewers aren’t that far behind in terms of their odds to win the NL Central, while the Pirates are the longshots at 70/1.

On the Hill

Jack Flaherty is this staff’s undisputed ace, and his last two seasons have been spectacular. Flaherty should have received more Cy Young consideration, as he led the National League with a 0.968 WHIP. He didn’t have a gaudy record thanks to lackluster run support when he was on the mound, but his 10.6 K/9 and the lowest hit rate in the NL led to a great campaign. The Cardinals are going to lean on him often in 2020.

The book is out on Miles Mikolas. Mikolas was brilliant in 2018, posting an 18-4 record with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.071 WHIP, but he became a league average pitcher last season with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.223 WHIP. He has excellent control with a sterling 1.6 BB/9 walk rate, but his low 7.0 K/9 strikeout rate haunted him throughout the year. Provided he continues to show excellent control, he should post better numbers in 2020, but it would help if he could miss more bats.

Adam Wainwright has been with the club since 2005, and he will return for at least one more year. While Wainwright hasn’t been an elite pitcher since 2014, he is still a serviceable innings eater that doesn’t get rattled. He has posted a 1.4 or higher WHIP in each of the last four seasons though, so don’t count on too much from the three-time All-Star.

At the Plate

Paul Goldschmidt’s streak of six straight All-Star Game appearances came to an end last season. His OPS fell by 100 points in his first season in St. Louis, but the power is still there. Although his batting average dropped precipitously, he finished the season with 34 home runs, and he is expected to improve upon last year’s numbers.
Paul Goldschmidt and the Cardinals look for a return to the playoffs in 2020.
Paul Goldschmidt and the Cardinals look for a return to the playoffs in 2020. (AP)

Kolten Wong was the Cardinals’ best contact hitter last year. Wong doesn’t have much power, finishing the season with just 11 home runs, but he hit .285 and also led the team with 24 steals. He could move into the leadoff role at some point in 2020 if Dexter Fowler continues to decline.

The big question for this lineup entering 2020 is Matt Carpenter. Carpenter posted the worst season of his career in 2019, finishing with a triple slash of .226/.334/.392, and his power disappeared as his home runs fell from 36 in 2018 to 15 in 2019.

He struck out at a high rate, more than once in every four plate appearances, and that led to pitchers challenging him rather than putting him on base because of concerns over his power.

2020 St. Louis Cardinals World Series Projection

If the younger bats come into their own, the Cardinals could be a 90-plus win team in 2020. However, there’s reason to be bearish on St. Louis winning the World Series. There is no reliable arm in the rotation aside from Flaherty, and the offense could fall off if Goldschmidt’s production continues to decline.

2020 St. Louis Cardinals World Series Free Pick:
Stay away at this price - Alternative Options

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

Mlb News

VegasInsider Staff

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff
•