Another week of baseball betting will be in the books at online sportsbooks following this week’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast when the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves close their extended series out from Truist Park. Both squads have failed to live up to preseason expectations after 2+ months with the Redbirds sitting just a single game over .500 and the Braves three games under the breakeven point. The injury bug is largely to blame with it taking huge bites out of both pitching staffs and taking some crucial bats out of the mix as well. Even so, the offenses should be able to flex their muscles in the series finale with left-hander Kwang Hyun Kim set to square off against righty Bryse Wilson; the likely call-up for the spot start. This series marks the first meeting between these teams since they last met in the 2019 playoffs when the Cards throttled the Braves 13-1 in Game 5 to advance into the next round. Atlanta should be out for blood!
First pitch for this non-divisional NL showdown between the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves is scheduled for Sunday, June 20, 2021, at 7 p.m. ET from Truist Park. This week’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast will air live on ESPN. Bet on MLB odds and player props at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
MLB Betting Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Neither of these teams have made money for MLB bettors to this point of the season. Though St. Louis just guaranteed itself a series win for the first time since the end of May by taking the first two games against the Miami Marlins earlier in the week, Mike Shildt’s team still finds itself in the red overall. The team’s 34-33 record brings with it a $141 overall deficit with its 16-18 road record not doing it any favors. Only the D’backs, Twins, Orioles, Pirates and Rockies have cost baseball bettors more of their bankroll than that of Atlanta. The Braves currently find themselves over $850 in the red after dropping the series opener to the Red Sox on Tuesday night. Most bothersome is the fact that it’s failed to produce a winning record at home 17-18, -$597.
Probable Pitchers
Kwang Hyun Kim: Though the lefty only managed a 1-4 record, he was one of the better stories within the Redbirds starting rotation a season ago. That hasn’t been the case this season; save for his last start against the Miami Marlins. You know, the team that’s flat-out allergic to scoring runs! All kidding aside, Kim logged his first quality start of 2021 on Tuesday night after tossing six innings of 1 ER ball at the Fish. However, the southpaw needed 102 pitches just to get through six frames and he also issued five free passes. His inability to go deep into games routinely puts the Cardinals’ below average bullpen into play in every one of his starts. With Atlanta batting .246 and averaging 5.3 runs per game against lefties, another short outing is likely.
Bryse Wilson: This was supposed to be Tucker Davidson’s night. Unfortunately, the left-hander was forced from his start against Boston on Tuesday night due to tightness in the forearm of his throwing arm. He has since been placed on the IL and won’t be available. That means Brian Snitker is likely to reach down to the farm and pluck an arm for this spot start in front of a nationally televised audience. The likeliest candidate is Wilson whose schedule synced up perfectly with Davidson after making the start for the Triple-A club on Tuesday. Should that be the case, over bettors will rejoice with Wilson allowing 10.6 hits and 2.2 home runs per nine innings over the course of his five made starts earlier in the season.
Cardinals vs. Braves Prediction
I’m not buying into Kim’s last start against the Marlins. Miami can’t hit its way out of a wet paper bag! I already faded Wilson once this season in a home start at night against the Chicago Cubs. Atlanta went on to lose that game 9-3 with Wilson conceding seven hits and 4 ER in just three innings of work. Neither of these pitchers have shown a knack for going deep into games, and both bullpens have more or less stunk out loud with St. Louis ranked No. 20 4.33 ERA and Atlanta No. 26 4.82 ERA. Along with that, Atlanta thrives against left-handed pitching and will be going all-out to hang crooked numbers on the Redbirds over the course of this series. It might need to with the weak stuff Wilson brings with him to the bump. As such, I’ll be looking to target the over in the first five innings as well as the full game. Fingers crossed an ump with a tight K zone nestles in behind the dish!
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