Free Picks: St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres

A marquee match-up, the Cardinals and Padres are well equipped in offensive phenoms. For this game, I take a look at the visiting Cardinals and how they rank highly in a number of offensive categories. St. Louis’ efficiency at the plate is studied by other teams, and I think we’ll see another example of how strong the Cardinals’ offense is on Saturday.

Entering this season, the Cardinals and Padres were considered hopefuls for the playoffs and were popular choices in World Series odds. 

But in the early going of the season, neither St. Louis nor San Diego have pulled away. The Cardinals have lost some embarrassing games to teams they shouldn’t be losing to, while the Padres are learning very quickly what it’s like to face tough competition every night.  

For this MLB Prediction, I need to take a look at starting pitching. Projected to be on the mound for the visiting Cardinals is living legend Adam Wainwright. Wainright’s 42 strikeouts is just a glimpse of what he can do on the mound. 

Opposite of Wainwright is Chris Paddack. After returning from the Injured List, Paddack showed some better life after 11 days’ rest. His ERA is a tad concerning at 4.78, but he should be well-rested. 

Good pitching can trump good offense, but I don’t see both teams’ bats going cold Saturday. 

While I think we’re poised to see a game that features tons of scoring, I want to focus on the Cardinals’ total runs specifically. 

St. Louis is one of the highest-scoring teams in the National League. They are also a league leader in Home Runs and have only been caught stealing on 5 occasions.  

I think the Cardinals’ offense coupled with Paddack’s high ERA will make the run total a smart move. St. Louis has a deadly offense and the over in runs will be your best MLB bet for this game. 

San Diego has one of the lowest team ERAs in the MLB, but have allowed 40 home runs already this season. The Padres’ pitching staff is good at keeping the score low, but the long ball could be a huge game-changer in this one. 

I like the Cardinals’ offense in this game. Let’s bank on St. Louis having an efficient day at the plate.

• St. Louis averages 5.33 runs per game against SDP in last 3. 
• The Cardinals rank 12th in total runs scored. 
• The Cardinals average 4.47 runs per game.