MLB Betting – Cardinals Meet Dodgers In Potential NL Pennant Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals head in to Los Angeles to open their three-game set on Monday night with the intentions of retaking the National League Central division lead. Tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the top spot, the Cardinals will attempt to improve their road record to above .500 in the first of this series at Dodgers Stadium, against an opponent keen on making strides to retake first place in their division, just a half game back of the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

MLB Game Odds:
St. Louis Cardinals +130
Blake Hawksworth – R
Los Angeles Dodgers -150
Carlos Monasterios – R

Total:
8.5 O -115
8.5 U -105

Run Line:
St. Louis +1.5 -155
Los Angeles -1.5 +135

Location: Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Game Time: Monday June 7, 2010 – 10:10 PM ET
TV: FSMW, FSPT

The Week That Was: Cardinals

After losing to the Reds in the opening game of the month, the Cardinals have bounced back with wins in three of four, including taking two of three against the Milwaukee Brewers leading in to this series. After outscoring the Brewers 13-4 in the first two games of the weekend set, the Cardinals could not hold on for the sweep, falling 4-3 to Milwaukee on Sunday. Now, tied atop the NL Central division with Cincinnati, St. Louis begins a six-game road swing through Los Angeles and Arizona on Monday night.

The Week That Was: Dodgers

After failing to generate much offense to open the month, despite consecutive 1-0 wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers have found their swing again it seems, hitting at least three runs in each of four games since. The only problem is that the team is just 2-2 over that span, splitting their home series against the Atlanta Braves. This will be one of the longest home skids for Los Angeles this year, as Monday night marks the fifth of 10 straight the Dodgers will play at home to open the month of June, making it a pivotal time to catch and even surpass the Padres for first place in the division.

The Match Up: Cardinals vs Dodgers

The pitching matchup remains somewhat unsettled leading in to the opener of this series, as St. Louis manager Tony La Russa has kept his cards close to his chest, revealing only that one of Blake Hawksworth or P.J. Walters will get the start on Monday night. La Russa isn’t particularly enamored with either of his starters, and has left the door open for either to get the call. The decision is a lot simpler for their opponent however, as rookie hurler Carlos Monasterios looks to continue his excellent play. The 24-year old is 2-0 with a 1.87 ERA despite not pitching higher than double-A before this season.

MLB Betting Pick: Dodgers