The Los Angeles Dodgers are 8-2 in their previous 10 games and are set to take on the surging St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers are hot and ready to begin pulling away from the rest of the NL West. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are one of the biggest disappointments of 2023. The former favorites to win the NL Central are last with a home record of 8-14, but have won nine of their last 11 overall after a 16-8 triumph in the series opener.
The MLB odds list the Dodgers as -127 favorites on the moneyline.
Los Angeles Dodgers on 7-2 Surge
The Dodgers are heating up after a tepid start, winning seven of their last nine games. Their MLB betting results are just as impressive at 6-3 against the spread (ATS) in their previous 10. Furthermore, the Dodgers cover 55% of the time as favorites and 55.3% with no rest.
In games outside their division, the Dodgers and their opponents send the total over 64% of the time.
St. Louis Cardinals Continue to Disappoint
The Cardinals are in a tough spot. They are a good team, but stuck in last place in the NL Central.
At home, the Cards cover just 36.4% of the time at 9-12 and will have their hands full with a potent Los Angeles lineup. St. Louis is on the wrong side of a pitching mismatch on Friday, and we expect them to fall to the might of the Dodgers.
Starting Pitchers
Tony Gonsolin (1-1, 1.42) vs Steven Matz (0-4, 5.62)
We don’t see any reason to make an MLB bet in favor of the Cardinals when Matz is on the mound. Forget his woeful stats, it’s the Cardinals’ 2-6 record against the spread when the veteran southpaw takes the hill. If you are MLB live betting this game, note that Matz has allowed five of his seven home runs at his home ballpark.
This is quite the report from @BNightengale. #STLCards https://t.co/olujKoAiRT pic.twitter.com/qpe0DOzb3F
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) May 15, 2023
Conversely, Gonsolin is a guy we love and will happily trust with our MLB picks on Friday. Despite starting the season late, Gonsolin has been hot and is riding an 11-inning scoreless earned run streak. Because baseball is so weird, his lone loss came in a game where he didn’t allow an earned run. He has yet to allow an earned run on the road.
Dodgers vs Cardinals Head-to Head
The Dodgers have a clear advantage both at the plate and on the mound. All the Cardinals have is a terrible combined ERA and the title “biggest disappointment of 2023.”
The betting results are clear, and Los Angeles is 5-1 against the MLB lines in the last five meetings after St. Louis prevailed 16-8 on Thursday.
Dodgers vs Cardinals Game Information
- Game: Dodgers (28-17) vs Cardinals (19-26)
- Location Busch Stadium, St. Louis
- Day/Time: Friday, May 19, 8:15 p.m. ET
- Dodgers vs Cardinals Live stream: MLB.tv
Dodgers vs Cardinals Betting Lines
Over/Under Pick
The trends suggest that this game will soar over the betting total with Los Angeles’ big bats beating up on St. Louis’ poor pitching. The over is 14-8-1 when the Cardinals play at home and 13-7-1 when the Dodgers are away.
Pick: Over 9 (-100)
Moneyline Pick
Despite the mismatch on the mound and in the batting order, the Dodgers’ moneyline odds are reasonable at -127 to win outright. We will accept this gift from the oddsmakers and happily bet against Matz and the struggling Cardinals with such attractive odds.
Pick: Dodgers -119
Spread Pick
The moneyline odds are juicy for Los Angeles, but the spread odds at +120 are my best bet for this game. The Dodgers are a much better team, riding a hot streak, and boast a far better pitcher on Friday. Don’t overthink this one. Take Los Angeles to win big.
Pick: Dodgers -1½ (+125)
