The Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals may not be among the frontrunners to represent the National League in the World Series this fall, but both should be playoff contenders. The Nationals are primed for a bounce-back after their injury-plagued 2020 season, while the Cardinals added a superstar in Nolan Arenado via an offseason trade with the Rockies.
| Odds | Washington Nationals | St. Louis Cardinals |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline Odds | +103 | -113 |
| Runline Odds | +1.5 (-200) | -1.5 (+170) |
| Over/Under Odds | Over 7 (-120) | Under 7 (-120) |
Washington snapped a five-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the Cardinals in Monday’s series-opener. We’ve got quite a pitching matchup on tap for Tuesday. Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg will make his second start of the year, while the Cardinals will counter with ace Jack Flaherty. The Cardinals are slight -113 home favorites at MLB betting sites for the moneyline option.
Can Strasburg Stay Healthy?
Strasburg has been among baseball’s elite pitchers since debuting back in 2010, but he has struggled with injuries throughout his career. The right-hander won World Series MVP two years ago thanks to a number of dominant outings during the Nats’ memorable title run, but he was held to just two starts last year due to injury.
In his first start of 2021, he looked like his old self. The San Diego State product struck out eight while allowing just one hit over the course of six shutout innings against the Braves on April 7. The Nats were somewhat conservative with Strasburg, holding him to 85 pitches, but he should be good to throw between 90 and 95 today in St. Louis.
Stephen Strasburg has been in a really good mood. 🦈#NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/K7eJpkKB2q
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 26, 2021
The Cardinals have a couple of major power threats in Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, but the rest of the lineup looks fairly underwhelming. St. Louis’ projected lineup in this game has a collective team wOBA of .311 with an ISO of .153 against right-handed pitching dating back to last season. The Cardinals have also struck out nearly 23 percent of the time against right-handed pitching, and Strasburg has been one of the best strikeout pitchers in the league for his entire career.
Strasburg staying healthy will likely be the key to whether the Nationals will ultimately make another run this fall. He’s in a favorable spot tonight, though, against a generally overrated Cardinals lineup.
Flaherty’s Iffy Start
Jack Flaherty struggled on Opening Day against the Reds, but he won’t be the last pitcher to have a difficult time against Cincinnati this season. The right-hander allowed six runs on six hits in 4.1 innings that day, but the Cardinal bats carried the team to an 11-6 victory that afternoon.
Flaherty looked more like himself in his second start, however. The 25-year-old held Miami to just one hit over the course of six shutout innings with six strikeouts in a 7-0 victory. Flaherty did walk four in that one, but it was still a far better outing than he enjoyed in his 2021 debut.
Jack Flaherty, 91mph Fastball (foul) and 84mph Slider (swinging K), Overlay. pic.twitter.com/3VvTEUIFPm
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 7, 2021
Flaherty has a career strikeout rate (29 percent) comparable to Strasburg’s, but his matchup is more daunting. Washington has gotten some reinforcements back into the lineup after health protocols left the Nationals shorthanded to begin the campaign. Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber both made their team debuts last night, and the two will combine with Juan Soto to give Washington a trio of fearsome left-handed bats right in the middle of the order.
What’s the Best Bet?
Anything can happen in a game featuring a couple of Cy Young-caliber starters, but runs should come at a premium in this one. Neither offense projects well against Strasburg or Flaherty, but I do think this is a good opportunity to buy Washington as a plus-money underdog. Strasburg is the better pitcher than Flaherty at this point, while the Nationals also happen to have more offensive talent than their opponents tonight.
Pick: Nationals
Odds: +103
$100 Could Win You…$203.00
So, I like the betting value in the Nationals moneyline at +103. You’re getting better than even-money to back one of the game’s truly elite starters in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Take Washington to win this one tonight.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
