St. Louis and Atlanta begin their quests for the National League Pennant and a spot in the 2019 World Series when they battle at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA on Thursday, Oct. 3. The Braves won the NL East. The Cards won the NL Central. Which team gets ahead in the best-of-5 National League Division Series? Check out the MLB odds, a preview and a free pick for Cardinals vs Braves Game 1!
Cardinals vs Braves 2019 NLDS Game 1 Odds, Preview and Pick
- When: Thursday, Oct. 3 at 5:02pm ET
- Where: SunTrust Park, Atlanta, GA
- TV: TBS
- Radio: Cardinals / Braves
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- Moneyline: Cardinals +114 / Braves -137
- Over/Under Total: TBD
Why St. Louis Cardinals are a good bet at +114?
It took St. Louis a single season of missing out on the playoffs to return to where they believe they belong: the NL Central Division winners and a spot in the postseason. St. Louis beat the Cubs and Brewers with a 91-71 regular season record. Not bad for a team that missed out on the playoffs last season. The key for the Cardinals is their starting rotation, which ranks fifth in MLB with a 3.82 team average. St. Louis hopes to use starter Mile Mikolas to put a beat down on Braves batters on Thursday. Mikolas might just do that as the Braves only hit .234 against him.
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
Why Atlanta Braves are a good bet at -137?
It’s taken a while for the Atlanta Braves to return to prominence. Atlanta went 68-93 in 2016, making them one of the worst teams in MLB that year. Only 3 seasons later, and the Atlanta Braves are NL East Division winners. Atlanta ranks seventh in runs per game at 5.28, ninth in team batting average at .258, and seventh in OPS at .789. The Braves’ offense might be too much for Mikolas and the Cardinals relievers on Thursday night.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Runs/G: 5.28
- BA: .258
- OPS: .789
- HR: 249
- SB: 89
- ERA: 4.20
- WHIP: 1.26
- KS: 1393
- Quality Starts: 76
- Errors: 78
MLB Betting Trends for Cardinals vs Braves Game 1
- Cardinals are 1-6 in their last 7 playoff games
- Cardinals are 5-2 in their last 7 road games versus a team with a winning record
- The total went OVER in 5 of St. Louis’ last 6 games
- Braves are 1-5 in their last 6 overall
- Braves are 36-16 in their last 52 home games
- The total went UNDER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 5 games against St. Louis
NLDS Game 1 St. Louis Cardinals vs Atlanta Braves MLB Betting Analysis
The Braves start Dallas Keuchel on Oct. 3. Keuchel’s stats aren’t mind-blowing: a 3.75 ERA, an 8-8 record, and 1.37 WHIP. Not only that, but the ATL hasn’t responded in Keuchel’s last few starts, going 0-3 the last 3 times Dallas has picked up the baseball.
That’s not a good sign for the Braves heading into Game 1. The Braves have lost 5-of-6. Then again, St. Louis isn’t hot heading into the postseason, either. They went 1-4 SU in their last 5 games. The Braves relievers have definitely stepped it up in the past 15 games, which makes Atlanta the choice here. They’ll support Dallas if he falters early. Back the ATL to take Game 1.
MLB Free Pick: Atlanta Braves moneyline
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