The Washington Nationals (49-56) travel to face off against the St. Louis Cardinals (53-51) on Sunday, July 28th. This game will be played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and televised on BSMW. The Nationals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cardinals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nationals. First pitch is set for 1:15 CT.
Nationals vs. Cardinals Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cardinals (-153)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
- The Cardinals have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game in their last 15 games.
- The Cardinals have won 4 out of their last 6 home games.
- The Cardinals have a head-to-head record of 4-2 against the Nationals in their last 6 meetings.
- The Cardinals have scored 6 or more runs in 5 of their last 6 games against the Nationals.
- The Nationals have a road record of 23-27, indicating they struggle more on the road.
Nationals vs Cardinals
Despite coming in as the slight underdogs on the road, the Nationals picked up a 14-3 win over the Cardinals in the most recent game of this series. Washington’s offense got off to a fast start, scoring seven runs in the first and adding four more in the 2nd. On the other side, the Cardinals got on the board with one run in the 3rd and added their final two runs in the 8th.
Jake Irvin got the win for the Nationals, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up two earned runs. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued three walks. As for the Cardinals, Kyle Gibson got the start and took the loss, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work.
At the plate, the Nationals were led by Keibert Ruiz and James Wood, who each had four hits and three RBIs. Harold Ramirez also had a three-hit game and drove in three runs. For the Cardinals, Willson Contreras hit the game’s only home run and went 1/3.
Washington has a 49-56 overall record and is 16.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. They have won two straight games and are the underdog in today’s matchup vs. the Cardinals. The Nationals’ games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 51-50.
On the run line, the Nationals are 59-46, including a 32-23 mark on the road. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.4, and they are 50-36 as the underdog. Washington has a 22-26 record as the road underdog, and their overall series record this season is 13-18-2.
DJ Herz Gets The Start For The Nationals
Washington is sending DJ Herz to the mound today vs. the Cardinals, and he comes in with a record of 1-4 and an ERA of 4.95. Herz has made eight starts this year and has only turned in one quality start. In his last outing, he gave up two earned runs in five innings of work vs. the Padres. Herz took the loss in that outing. Looking back, he has lost three straight starts. Opponents are batting .263 off Herz this year, and his WHIP is 1.40. The right-hander is averaging 11.15 strikeouts per nine innings.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense is 18th in the MLB in runs per game at 4.3. They have been a bit better on the road (4.4 RPG) than at home (4.1 RPG). The Nationals are the league’s worst home run hitting team and have a team slugging percentage of just .370, which is 24th in the league. As a team, they are batting .239.
CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. are the Nationals’ top home run hitters and RBI guys, with Abrams leading the team with 15 homers and Garcia Jr. just behind him at 11. Abrams is batting .259 for the season, and Garcia Jr. comes in with a batting average of .280. Juan Yepez has been hot of late, going 12/32 in his last eight games with two homers and 10 RBIs.
St. Louis has a 53-51 record, putting them 2nd in the NL Central, six games behind the Brewers. They have lost three straight games, including the first two games of their series against the Nationals.
When the Cardinals win, they win by an average of 2.6 runs, but when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.6 runs. Their run line record is 52-52, and the over has hit in 23 games with higher totals than today’s line of 8.5 runs. The over has also hit in their last two games, with their season average run total being 8.7 runs per game.
Miles Mikolas Gets The Start For The Cardinals
St. Louis is sending Miles Mikolas to the mound today vs. the Nationals, and he will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just two earned runs in six innings of work. In that outing vs. the Braves, he allowed one homer. Looking back at his last three outings, Mikolas has given up a homer in each of those starts. Mikolas’ ERA for the season is 5.02, along with a record of 8-8. Out of his 21 starts, he has 12 quality starts. Per nine innings, Mikolas is averaging just 1.45 walks compared to 6.08 strikeouts.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
St. Louis comes into the game averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 23rd in the MLB. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per contest. As a team, the Cardinals are batting .245, which is 9th in the league, and have the 17th most home runs in the MLB. However, their isolated power (ISO) of .141 is just 19th in the league.
Over his last eight games, Nolan Arenado has three home runs for the Cardinals, but is just 5/28 during that stretch. For the season, Arenado is batting .265 with a team-high 19 homers. Alec Burleson is also near the top of the league in RBIs, as his 60 RBIs is the best mark in the league right now.
Nationals vs Cardinals Prediction
The best bet in this Nationals vs. Cardinals matchup is to take the Cardinals on the money line at -153. We have the Cardinals winning this one by a score of 6-5, which would also give you a little bit of room to take the over, as the line is sitting at 8.5 runs.
If you are looking for a potential parlay, you could look to pair the Cardinals with a starting pitcher who has a good chance of picking up a win. We have Miles Mikolas as the second-best option to get a win today, and he is also projected to finish with four strikeouts.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:July 28, 2024 Cardinals, Nationals