Two of Major League Baseball’s biggest and strongest teams will meet on Friday night at Busch Stadium, St. Louis. The Los Angeles Dodgers with a 28-17 record takes on the St. Louis Cardinals with a record of 19-26. The game will start at 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Dodgers faced the Cardinals on Thursday in the opening game of a four-day series, which ultimately saw the Cardinals triumph 16-8. Los Angeles is still managing to maintain impressive recent form. The team has won seven of its last ten games.
The Cardinals pulled off an incredible seven home runs against the Dodgers on Thursday. Furthermore, 3B Nolan Arenado, one of the hottest hitters in baseball, hit a home run in six of his last seven games.
The Dodgers remain in 1st place in the NL West, however, with 2.5 games keeping the Arizona Diamondbacks at bay.
Expected for the Dodgers on Friday night is right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin. In his fifth start, Gonsolin has an ERA of 1.42 and has produced a good WHIP ratio of 0.95. He is hoping to prevent any errors and maintain outstanding performance, having in his last start registered over-six strikeouts in successive appearances.
Matz, the Cardinals’ starting pitcher, is currently on a losing streak. Despite his 8.0 K/9 stat through 41 2/3 IP, he has a 0-4 record this season with a 5.62 ERA which suggests his form has been poor recently.
Predicting how the game will pan out, the Dodgers are favourites to win by BetMGM Sportsbook at -130, whereas the Cardinals are at $105. On the other hand, the spread lines give the Dodgers’ an advantage of -1.5 runs at +125.
If you favor the Dodgers to win the game, they must maintain a 2-point lead in order to fulfill the total spread win. The game’s total run line is set at 8.5, with the Over at -120 favouring the Dodgers.
Overall, the Dodgers have a better-than-expected lineup, especially with a late impact from the 9-hole for the team. However, Matz has the potential to turn the match in his favor, although he would draw on his past experience to do it as his current form is quite shaky. Gonsolin, on the other hand, has proved to be consistent in his appearances so far this season, and has the potential to prove his worth tonight.
Since the Dodgers are leading the season series 3-1 so far, they have previously shown their strength against the Cardinals. Therefore, there’s no reason why the Dodgers wouldn’t aim to go all in to have another victory on Friday night.
BetMGM Sportsbook’s odds may favor the Dodgers to win the game, but you can always expect the unexpected on game day.
If we analyze both teams’ current form, the Dodgers are seen to be strong favorites to win the game. However, given the game’s unpredictability and the fact that the Cardinals pulled off an impressive victory last night, the Dodgers can’t afford complacency.
Despite the fact the Dodgers lost yesterday’s game, they wouldn’t want to break their stride, given their continued excellent performances. They have won seven of their last ten games, which puts them in an excellent position heading into Friday’s game.
Los Angeles is not impressed with their recent loss to St Louis. The Dodgers will hit the pitch harder tonight because of that loss, which motivates them to take home victory.
With Gonsolin performing well in his recent appearances, BetMGM Sportsbook could be right in placing the Dodgers as favourites to win the game. However, given the unpredictability of baseball, anything can happen, and we might witness another win for the Cardinals.
If the Dodgers want to stand a chance of winning the tie, they will need to capitalize on Cardinals’ errors and play to the best of their abilities. They have the potential to beat the Cards, but it will come down to whether they can deliver tonight.
There’s no doubt that the Cardinals must take the offensive big time if they want to win the game tonight. With so much at stake, anything can happen, and this match could go either way. So, it is impossible to predict which team will come out on top tonight.
If anything is for sure, it’s that fans of both teams should keep an eye on the scoreboard, as this game will be an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. With two of baseball’s giants battling it out, only the result can tell who will win.