St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves Picks, Predictions, Odds

The St. Louis Cardinals (44-37) will take on the Atlanta Braves (46-34) Monday for game-one of a four-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:20 PM at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia and can be viewed on MLB Extra Innings.  

Score Prediction

Braves 5, Cardinals 3

Best Bets 

• Braves -1.5 (+120) at WynnBet

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves Betting Predictions

St. Louis enters this matchup second in the NL Central standings, two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place. The Cardinals went 1-2 SU in their most recent series with the Phillies and have lost six of their last 10 games. St. Louis managed to score seven runs in game-two but struggled to get much going in the other games with a combined three runs scored in games one and three. This is not a common trend as the Cardinals rank as the fourth highest scoring team in baseball, averaging 4.72 runs per game. St. Louis’ bullpen struggled as well against the Phillies, giving up 16 total runs throughout the series. This is above their team ERA of 3.82 (11th). Right-handed pitcher Dakota Hudson is expected to take the mound Monday. Hudson is 6-4 in 15 games this season with an ERA of 3.83 and has given up 71 hits, 34 earned runs, and struck out 44 batters in 80.0 innings.  

The Atlanta Braves are currently second in the NL East, three and a half games behind the New York Mets for first place. The Braves most recently went 2-1 SU in a three-game series with Cincinnati and have won six of their last 10 games. Atlanta looked great in games one and two, winning by a combined score of 13-2. Game three was a bit different as the Braves lost 4-3. The Braves have been taking care of business as of late, winning 18 of their last 26 games and averaging 4.74 runs per game (6th) with a team ERA of 3.74 (9th) on the season. The right-hander Kyle Wright is scheduled to take the mound Monday. Wright is 9-4 in 15 games this season with an ERA of 3.03 and has given up 75 hits, 31 earned runs, and struck out 96 batters in 92.0 innings of work.  

I like the Braves to cover the runline in game-one of this matchup. The Cardinals have struggled to get anything going against quality pitching as of late and Kyle Wright has been good this season. The Braves have also been one of the best teams in the league over the past 30 games and I do not expect Dakota Hudson to be able to slow that train down. Backing the Braves –1.5 here.  

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves Betting Odds

MLB Odds | World Series Odds 

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves Betting Resources

• Date: Monday, July 4, 2022
• Matchup: NL Central vs. NL East
• Stadium: Truist Park
• Location: Atlanta, GA
• TV-Time: MLB Network- 7:20 p.m.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Analysis

Having lost six of their last 10 games, St. Louis is now 44-37 SU, 45-36 ATS, and have an O/U record of 40-37-4. The total has gone under in five of the Cardinals last six games. Going against this trend, the total has gone over in six of their last 10 games on the road. St. Louis is 4-9 SU in their last 13 games on the road and 20-21 SU on the road this season.  

The Cardinals have been productive on the offensive side of the ball. As a team St. Louis has a batting average of .253 (6th), on base percentage of .320 (9th), slugging percentage of .409 (10th) and have scored 383 runs (4th). The first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has been dominant this season with a batting average of .346 (100-289), 19 home runs, and 65 RBIs. Second baseman Tommy Edman has also been hitting the ball well with a batting average of .270 (83-307), seven home runs, and 32 RBIs.  

St. Louis’ bullpen has been a bit inconsistent throughout the season. As a team they are allowing opponents a batting average of .244 (19th), have a WHIP of 1.28 (18th), and have an ERA of 3.81 (11th). Right-handed pitcher Dakota Hudson is expected to take the mound Monday. Hudson is 6-4 in 15 games this season with an ERA of 3.83 and has given up 71 hits, 34 earned runs, and struck out 44 batters in 80.0 innings. In his most recent start against Miami, Hudson struck out three batters in 5.0 innings while giving up six hits and three runs.  

Atlanta Braves Betting Analysis

After losing to the Reds on Sunday Atlanta is now 46-34 SU, 41-39 ATS, and an O/U record of 41-36-3. The Braves are 5-3 SU in their last eight games against a National League opponent and the total has gone under in nine of their last 13 against an NL East opponent. Atlanta is 7-3 SU in their last 10 home games and 24-17 SU at home this season.  

Atlanta has managed to figure out their offense after a slow start. On the season the Braves have a batting average of .248 (12th), on base percentage of .314 (17th), slugging percentage of .442 (1st) and have scored 378 runs (6th). The Shortstop Dansby Swanson has led the way for the Braves offense this season with a batting average of .301 (91-302), 14 home runs, and 46 RBIs. Right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr has been solid as well with a batting average of .287 (51-178), seven home runs, and 18 RBIs.  

The Brave’s bullpen has pitched well throughout the season. As a team they are allowing opponents a batting average of .232 (6th), have a WHIP of 1.23 (10th), and have an ERA of .374 (9th). The right-hander Kyle Wright is scheduled to take the mound Monday. Wright is 9-4 in 15 games this season with an ERA of 3.03 and has given up 75 hits, 31 earned runs, and struck out 96 batters in 92.0 innings of work. In his most recent start against the Phillies, Wright gave up one run on three hits while striking out four batters in 7.0 innings  

Key Players to Watch

• STL: Nolan Arenado - 3B
• STL: Paul Goldschmidt - 1B
• ATL: Ronald Acuna Jr. - OF
• ATL: Dansby Swanson - SS

Probable Pitchers

• STL: Dakota Hudson - RHP (6-4, 3.83 ERA, 44 K, 1.35 WHIP)
• ATL: Kyle Wright - RHP (9-4, 3.03 ERA, 96 K, 1.14 WHIP)

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves Betting Conclusion

The Cardinals offense has been a bit slow over their last 10 games and I expect that trend to continue against Kyle Wright. Meanwhile, the Braves have been on a roll over the past month and should see success against the Cardinals. I do not expect them to sweep the series but do like them here in game-one. Not much value in the Braves moneyline so will backing the runline in this matchup.