The St. Louis Cardinals (1-2) travel to face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers (3-2) on Sunday, March 31st. This game will be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and televised on ESPN. The Cardinals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Dodgers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Dodgers. First pitch is set for 7:10 ET.
Cardinals vs Dodgers
The Cardinals and Dodgers needed extra innings to decide the previous game of this series, with the Cardinals pulling out a 6-5 win in 10 innings. St. Louis was out-hit 14 to 6 in the game but took advantage of their six hits, as the Dodgers left 10 runners on base.
Neither starter took a decision in the game, with Lance Lynn and Yoshinobu Yamamoto both going five innings and not allowing a run. Lynn gave up four hits, while Yamamoto gave up just two hits. Ryan Helsley got the win out of the bullpen for the Cardinals, while Giovanny Gallegos picked up the save.
The Dodgers tied the game at 5-5 with two runs in the 9th inning, but the Cardinals got the win with a run in the 10th. Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan each drove in a run for the Cardinals, while Mookie Betts hit a home run and scored three times for the Dodgers.
Steven Matz Gets The Start For The Cardinals
Steven Matz is coming off a season in which he made 17 starts and 25 appearances for the Cardinals. His record for the year was 4-7, and his ERA finished at 3.86. Matz’s WHIP for the season was 1.33, and he finished the year with four quality starts. His strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season was 3.1, and he averaged 1.3 walks per game. For the season, Matz allowed a total of 11 home runs.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
For the Cardinals, we have Brendan Donovan with the highest total hits projection on the team. His total hits projection is 26th best in the league today. Nolan Gorman has the top home run projection for the Cardinals and the 11th best in the league today. Willson Contreras has the 12th best home run projection in the league today.
Gavin Stone Gets The Start For The Dodgers
Gavin Stone is coming off a season in which he made four starts and eight appearances. His record was 1-1, and his ERA was 9.00. Stone’s WHIP was 1.90, and he allowed an average of .338. In terms of slugging percentage allowed, Stone’s mark was .603, and his FIP was 6.64. He averaged 6.39 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.77 walks per nine. Stone’s strikeout-to-walk ratio was 1.7, and he averaged 1.6 walks per game.
Dodgers Offense Breakdown
When looking at the Dodgers’ offensive projections for today, our model has Shohei Ohtani as the top home run threat on the team, as his home run projection is 4th best in the league today. Freddie Freeman has the 19th best hits projection in the league, and his home run projection is 12th best. Max Muncy’s home run projection is 10th best in the league today.
Cardinals vs Dodgers Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Cardinals vs. Dodgers matchup is to take the Dodgers to pick up the win at home. However, with the money line payout for the Dodgers being -186, we actually recommend taking the over on the game line, as we have the final score at 6-5 in favor of the Dodgers.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Gavin Stone finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for fifth among all starters. As for Steven Matz, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which has him down in 18th.
Looking at the Cardinals lineup, they are projected to finish with just eight total strikeouts, which is the fourth fewest in the league. As for the Dodgers, they are projected to finish with eight K’s, which is the seventh fewest.
Another reason to take the over is that the lineups are projected to finish with the 16th most home runs in the league today.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 31, 2024 Cardinals, Dodgers