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A huge litmus test awaits the Cardinals on Saturday night when the NL West leading Giants pay Busch Stadium a visit looking to put themselves in a position to snag yet another series victory.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
If not for the Chicago Cubs, the Giants would be the odds on favorites to win the National League. That’s simply not the case however with Chicago the +125 chalks to secure the NL pennant and the Giants checking in at +350. With it owning a 5.5 game lead on the Dodgers for the division lead, San Fran is the -180 chalk to see that lead hold up at season’s end. The Giants 18 road wins are tied for the most in both leagues. In playing .620 ball in the visitor’s role, they’ve lined their backer’s pockets with $624 worth of profit.
It’s been a rough go for Mike Matheny’s Cardinals who’ve managed to win just 28 of their first 54 games. With them sharing a division with both the Cubs and Pirates, the team must start taking its game to the next level if it expects to keep up with the pace set by both division rivals. Improving upon their home record would do themselves a huge solid as they sit two games under.500 at 13-15 that’s cost their wagering supporters upwards of $600 overall.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Two of the Giants biggest offseason acquisitions were Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. The former is currently the starting staff’s leader in wins (8), while the latter has tallied seven himself and is in the midst of an impressive bounce back campaign. He’s shaved nearly two runs off his ERA from last season, and looks to be much more confident than he was just a short campaign ago. He owns a winning record versus the Cardinals lifetime, and has been at his absolute best when in the visitor’s role in going 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while allowing just 40 hits in just over 48 innings of work.
The Cardinals starting staff leaves much to be desired. No longer is it capable of keeping the team in the game with most of the team’s wins coming by way of an offense that’s been ripping the cover off the ball. Shouldering his share of the blame is righty Michael Wacha who continues to be unimpressive since bolting onto the MLB scene a few years back. He’s 2-6 overall and has given up 69 hits over his 61.1 total innings of work. On top of that, he’s walking an average of 3.4 batters per nine innings and his WHIP has paid because of it evidenced by it sitting at 1.50. Busch has offered up no hole field advantage with his ERA blowing up to 5.29.
LIVE BETTING SCENARIO
The Giants have won seven of the Shark’s 11 overall starts, but did fall in his start in Atlanta earlier this week. The Cardinals have split Wacha’s six overall home starts, and while he’s fared well versus the Giants in the past, he’s just not a pitcher I feel comfortable backing right now. Especially with the Redbirds’ bullpen regressing this season and Trevor Rosenthal no longer lights out in the ninth.
San Fran has dropped three of its last four visits to St. Louis, but it’s now the more complete team and has the makeup to add to the Cardinals misery at home. If Samardzija is on early and the Giants continue to rake but fail to push runs across the plate early versus Wacha, make it a point to live bet the visitors with the Cardinals coming up to bat for some added value.
MLB odds at BookMaker.eu
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled for Saturday, June 4, 2016, at 7:15 p.m. ET at Busch Stadium. The matchup will be televised regionally on FOX.
