MLB Betting Free Pick – St. Louis Cardinals Open Series Against Phillies

Two of the best National League bets take center stage tonight as they start a four-game series that will be the focus of MLB futures betting nutbags. Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols alone make this a series worth watching, and if the oddsmakers miss the mark then it can set you up for a nice payday this week. That really depends on how Pujols reacts to Ryan Howard’s mammoth contract, with his own contract talks stuck in limbo.

Of course, nobody in the world of baseball betting argues that Howard’s market value is well reflected in his new deal. You pay for guys that can decimate teams that will give you potential matchup troubles in the playoffs, and to say that the Phillies want to do everything they can to stack against the Cardinals goes without saying.

That’s why Ryan Howard’s deal makes so much sense for the Phillies. Last year alone he went 9-for-18 with two homers and a .944 slugging percentage against S. Louis. Those were arguably his best splits against any team last season.

The Phillies have gone 3-2 SU in their past 5 games and are the best home scoring team in the National League with 6.3 runs on average. Their defense isn’t as polished as it needs to be, and part of that is a weak bullpen.

That’s why it’s imperative that the Phillies continue to get good starts from their men at the stripe. You could say that Joe Blanton is a bit of a weak link in the starting rotation for Philadelphia, and I’d be hard pressed to argue against that. Blanton threw for a 4.06 ERA in 31 games last season, earning 12 wins and 8 losses. He’ll make his debut after being activated off the DL recently.

St. Louis Cardinals (17-8) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (14-10)
Monday, May 3rd — Citizens Bank Park — 7:05pm EST
MLB Betting Lines:
Jaime Garcia – L -1.5 +135 -120 O 9.5 -120
Joe Blanton – R +1.5 -155 EV U 9.5 EV

Jaime Garcia will counter for the Cardinals. A left-handed pitcher who had to fight for his starting job, is one of the deadliest pitchers the Cardinals have. They’re just as surprised as the baseball betting public is. Garcia has gone 2-1 SU in four starts this year, with a staggering 1.04 ERA. He has allowed just five-runs in 26 innings. If that’s the worst guy in your rotation, then you’re probably not doing so bad, which is why the Cardinals have such a hefty winning record.

Where To Watch: FSMW, CSN, MLB.TV

The Phillies need to make a lot of noise in this series because they don’t get that many cracks at St. Louis over the course of the year. When Hamels and Halladay are at the mound I have all the faith in the world that Howard’s pummeling of the Cardinals will be enough to get the Phillies over the hump.

That being said, Blanton has a lot to prove if he wants to earn your betting trust. I’m suggesting you stay away from him until we have some metrics on him, especially when he’s going against a hustler like Garcia.

Furious MLB Free Pick – St. Louis RL and ML (UNDER)