The Washington Nationals took Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. On Saturday, the Cardinals hope to bounce back. It won’t be easy. St. Louis faces Washington ace Max Scherzer. Will the Cards even the series or will the Nats take a commanding 2-0 best-of-7 series lead? Check out the MLB Playoff odds, analysis, and a free pick for Nationals vs Cardinals Game 2!
Nationals vs Cardinals 2019 NLCS Game 2 Odds, Preview & Pick
- When: Saturday, Oct. 12 at 4:08pm ET
- Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
- TV: TBS
- Radio: Cardinals / Nationals
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Moneyline: Nationals -145 / Cardinals +125
- Over/Under Total: 7
Weather Forecast
- Sunny: 63°F
- Humidity: 27%
- Precipitation: 0%
- Wind: 11 mph SWW
- Type of Stadium: Outdoor
Why Washington Nationals are a good bet at -145?
Washington got an amazing 7.2 innings out of Anibal Sanchez in Game 1. Sanchez allowed only a single hit, struck out 5, walked 1, and didn’t give up a run. As great as Sanchez was, Max Scherzer has a shot to be even better.
Scherzer will enter Game 2 off a stunning 7 inning, 1 run, 7 strikeout performance against the L.A. Dodgers in the NLDS. The Nats won that game 6-1. The Cardinals only bat .227 against Scherzer. There’s a good chance he bottles them up on Saturday.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Runs/G: 5.39
- BA: .265
- OPS: .796
- HR: 231
- SB: 116
- ERA: 4.27
- WHIP: 1.29
- KS: 1511
- Quality Starts: 87
- Errors: 87
Why St. Louis Cardinals are a good bet at +125?
Like the Nationals, the St. Louis Cardinals send their ace to the mound. At one time, Adam Wainwright was the top starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Wainwright’s overall record isn’t spectacular, but he turned it on in a game against the Atlanta Braves during the NLCS.
Wainwright threw 7.2 innings, allowed only 4 hits, and didn’t give up a run. He struck out 8. If Wainwright has his stuff working that well on Oct. 12, he’ll ensure the Cards stay in this game with favored Washington.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Runs/G: 4.72
- BA: .245
- OPS: .737
- HR: 210
- SB: 116
- ERA: 3.82
- WHIP: 1.27
- KS: 1399
- Quality Starts: 76
- Errors: 66
MLB Betting Trends for Game 2 Nationals vs Cardinals
- Nationals are 4-0 in their last 4 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game
- Nationals are 13-3 in their last 16 versus a team with a winning record
- Washington is 14-3 in Scherzer’s last 17 starts
- Cardinals are 0-4 in their last 4 League Championship games
- Cardinals are 4-0 in Wainwright’s last 4 starts with 5 days rest
- St. Louis is 1-6 in their last 7 games versus a right-handed starter
NLCS Game 2 Nationals vs Cardinals MLB Betting Analysis
The Nationals are on fire. By beating the Cardinals in Game 1, the Nats took their streak to 3 straight. They upset a much better pitching staff in Game 5 of the NLCS when facing the Dodgers.
That means, St. Louis is really up against it in this one. However, although they hit well against Mike Mikolas, they face a slightly better starter in Wainwright on Saturday. Truth be told, the Nats didn’t dominate the way they were supposed to.
The belief is that because St. Louis couldn’t hit off Anibal Sanchez, there’s no way they hit off Scherzer. That’s not always the case in baseball. St. Louis has a talented lineup. The bullpen is much deeper than Washington’s.
Scherzer must pitch over 7 innings for Washington to win this matchup. He might, and Washington can win, but MLB betting is all about risk versus reward. With their ace on the mound, the Cardinals offer overlay odds to even this series. Go St. Louis Cardinals.
MLB Free Pick: St. Louis Cardinals +125
