Very quietly, the Arizona Diamondbacks are back at .500 at 61-61, and they could be back in this playoff mix before too much longer.
The St. Louis Cardinals enter Monday's game in the desert at 77-45, but their 31-26 road record leaves much to be desired.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Arizona sits at +4.03 units this season after this awesome run of good fortune. The D'backs won three straight and eight out of 13 heading into Sunday's finale of a four-game set at the Great American Ball Park, and if they can win that, they will have closed an East Coast trip at a solid 6-4.
The Cardinals still have the best money mark in the National League at +21.77 units, but since the All-Star break, they have basically been a breakeven proposition.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Robbie Ray hasn't had the best luck in the world in terms of wins and losses, but he will get a favorable matchup here against a St. Louis team which is batting just .234 against lefties to date.
Ray is just 3-9, but has been every bit as good as his 3.38 ERA suggests. The southpaw creates a ton of swings and misses, including 25 of them in his last start out of 99 pitches against a good Pittsburgh lineup, and if his offense ever helps him out, he'll be picking up wins in a hurry.
Lance Lynn will oppose Ray. He is 9-8 with a 2.94 ERA, and has led the Cards to a 13-10 record in his 23 starts in 2015.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"If I can't do that, then it doesn't allow me to throw my other or secondary pitches the way I want to. I can't get away with them like I normally can. When my fastball is on, it keeps them honest and off that off-speed stuff." – Diamondbacks southpaw Robbie Ray on what happens when his fastball isn't working well
SITUATIONAL BETTING
Again, it's been rather quiet, but Arizona closer Brad Ziegler hasn't blown a save since May 27. Since that point, he is 21-for-21, and his ERA is a svelte 1.71 with a 0.81 WHIP. Ziegler isn't the greatest closer known to man, but he's hot, and it's tough to argue with him in a tight game.
PROP TALK
Matt Carpenter has had a tough go of it of late for the Cards. He's 0-for-14 in his last four games, and he has four games in his last six with at least two strikeouts. You don't want any part of him, especially with a big lefty on the mound who has a tendency of getting a lot of swings and misses.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This is a nice matchup for the Diamondbacks. They're going to get out of Cincinnati and back to Phoenix relatively early on Sunday, so travel isn't going to be a big issue in spite of the fact that this East Coast trip is said and done with.
For as great as the Cardinals are, they've leveled off just a bit of late, and that could create a problem here on the road against a hot team and a pitcher which deserves significantly better luck than what he has received in 2015.
Arizona 5, St. Louis 2
The MLB lines for this Monday contest will be first released by BookMaker Sportsbook. 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 inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the St. Louis Cardinals versus the Arizona Diamondbacks will commence at 10:10 p.m. ET on Monday, August 24, 2015 at Chase Field. The matchup will be televised live on ESPN2.
