After dropping 11 runs on the board on Tuesday night, the St. Louis Cardinals (13-6 SU, +5.79 Units) will look to pour it on once again versus the Philadelphia Phillies (8-13 SU, -3.46 Units) on ESPN's Wednesday Night Baseball.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Cards are the heavy -185 moneyline favorites in this Wednesday night duel, and for really good reason. They have only played eight times at home this season, but already, they are 6-2 to show for their work and are up 2.92 units in this building. The Phils meanwhile, are just 2-7 and down 4.15 units already in 2015, the third worst road mark in baseball.
PITCHING MATCHUP
On the surface, Aaron Harang and Carlos Martinez seem to be poised to make up a great pitching matchup.
Martinez, who began the year pitching in the St. Louis bullpen, is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA, and he has allowed just a total of three runs in three starts since being promoted to the rotation.
Harang, a journeyman who has pitched for seven different teams since 2010, is 2-1 with a 1.37 ERA.
Still, when you look a little bit closer at Harang, you realize that he could be overmatched if Martinez has his good stuff. The vet hasn't had a winning record since 2011, and though he did have a 3.57 ERA last year, he still allowed batters to hit .273 against him.
So far in 2015, Harang has allowed men to hit .165, an unsustainable rate. Against the Cardinals, Harang is 7-15 in his career with a 4.27 ERA.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"He can be pretty special. He's getting aggressive, attacking the hitter, putting away with that slider and changeup. He's doing well so far." – Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina on Martinez's start to his 2015 campaign
SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Cardinals have the best bullpen ERA in the National League by a country mile at 1.88 this season, even though it should be noted that they have only been used for 58.2 innings of work thus far.
Traditionally, St. Louis is a club which overuses its bullpen, but the starters, including Martinez, have put this unit in a position where it doesn't have to labor as hard. What we aren't so sure of though, is what happens in games where the starter just doesn't have his good stuff and has to come out early. If Martinez can't get through at least six, we have our doubts about the Cardinals.
PROP TALK
A shaken up lineup might be just what the doctor ordered to get Matt Carpenter back on track for the Redbirds. Matt Carpenter has been the constant all year, and this series has been no exception. The infielder has logged four hits in eight at bats against the Phils, and he now has five two-hit games in his last six overall and 12 in his last 15.
With some help surrounding him now, Carpenter is tough to bet against on Wednesday.
ANALYSIS & PREDICTION
The Cards pounded out 15 hits and 11 runs in the second game of this series, and they could very well be set to abuse Harang as well.
Martinez is one of these pitchers who could quietly be in for a great season, and the fact of the matter is that he should probably end up being favored by a bigger margin than he is in this one, especially with the way that lineup is mashing the ball. It's not often that we see opportunity strike in the form of a nearly 1 to 2 favorite, but in this case, we certainly see it.
St. Louis 6, Philadelphia 3
BookMaker will be the first sportsbook to send out the baseball odds for this marquee matchup. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and winning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The duel between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies will take place Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at 8:10 p.m. ET at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO. Catch the action live on ESPN.
