Game Information
St. Louis Cardinals (27-23) vs Arizona Diamondbacks (26-24)
Time: 7:15pm CT Friday
How to watch: Apple TV+
Probable pitchers: Miles Mikolas (3-2, 3.77 ERA) vs Zac Gallen (3-5, 5.14 ERA)
DraftKings Odds
Moneyline: Diamondbacks -130, Cardinals +110
Total: 8.5 (over -122, under +102)
Cards Welcome Diamondbacks To Town
The St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks open up a three-game weekend series tonight at Busch Stadium.
This matchup pits two of baseball’s best offenses against each other. The Diamondbacks rank 5th in MLB with 5.14 runs per game, while the Redbirds are close behind ranking 7th with 4.80 runs per game.
Can Mikolas Keep It Going?
The Cards are coming off losing two out of the three games against the Tigers, who have the best record in baseball. It was the Cardinals’ first series loss since April 23rd at Atlanta.
The Birds will give the ball tonight to Miles Mikolas, who continues to impress this season. He is coming off 6 shutout innings in a win at Kansas City in his last outing, and in his last seven starts, Mikolas has compiled an ERA of 2.17.
Gallen Looking For Bounceback
Former Cardinals prospect Zac Gallen makes the start for the Diamondbacks tonight. The right-hander has struggled this season with a 5.14 ERA. Gallen has gotten lit up in his last two starts with 10 runs and 18 hits allowed covering 10.2 innings.
Mikolas will need to be careful with Eugenio Suárez in this one. The Arizona slugger has 14 home runs and 38 RBI this season, and he’s 6-for-14 with 2 homers off Mikolas in his career.
My Pick
I’ve put my faith in Mikolas over his last two starts, and he has rewarded me with two winning bets. I am nervous about him against a really good Arizona offense, but I told myself I’m going to continue to trust Mikolas until further notice - so give me the Cards on the moneyline tonight at a plus money price.
It’s not like Gallen has had one or two horrible starts that have blown up his ERA. He has only had 4 quality starts out of 10 this season, and most of his other outings have been downright bad.
I think the off day came at an ideal time for the Cardinals. They have been a good offensive club all year long, so I expect them to get back to swinging the bats well tonight against a struggling pitcher. And with Matthew Liberatore and Sonny Gray ready to roll this weekend, I like the Redbirds’ chances of taking this series.
Pick: Cardinals on the moneyline at +110 on DraftKings (bet to +100)
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Friday on the Sports Hub STL YouTube channel. Follow him on X @GamblingDads, and click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams. Picks = betting the game - minus odds betting to win 1 unit, plus odds risking 1 unit. Leans = no strong opinion, not betting the game. Disclaimer