Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks Pick
After getting swept at home by the Braves, the Cardinals will head west to Arizona to take on the Diamondbacks starting Monday night. With their ace on the hill, are the Cardinals a good underdog play?
Game Snapshot & Odds
953 St. Louis Cardinals (+135) at 954 Arizona Diamondbacks (-150); 8 runs
Monday, July 2, 2018
9:40 p.m. ET, Chase Field
TV: STL (FSMW); ARI (FSAZ)
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Public Betting Trends
Oddsmakers from online sportsbooks currently list the Diamondbacks as a -150 favorite. As of this writing, 68% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Diamondbacks to beat the Cardinals on the moneyline. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.
Cardinals’ Martinez looks good vs. Indians in win
Carlos Martinez settled in after a rough first inning to hold the Indians to two runs over six frames in the Cardinals’ 11-2 win Tuesday. Martinez often struggles in the first inning and that was no different here, as he gave up three hits, a walk and a pair of tallies. He then rebounded with five scoreless frames, retiring 11 of the last 12 he faced and fanning eight on the night. It’s easily Martinez’s best start in five tries since he was activated from the disabled list.
Diamondbacks’ Ray fires six scoreless innings in return from DL
Robbie Ray returned from the disabled list and rattled off six scoreless innings to beat the Marlins 2-1 on Wednesday. He allowed just two singles and two walks while fanning six in the gem outing. He was on a reduced pitch count in his first start after missing two months with an oblique injury but he made the most of his 83 pitches. Ray improves to 3-0 with a 4.01 ERA on the season and should provide a nice boost to his fantasy owners through the dog days of summer, especially in the strikeouts category.
MLB Betting Trends
St. Louis
The Cardinals are just 3-11 in their last 14 games after scoring five runs or more in their previous game.
Arizona
The Diamondbacks are 4-0 in their last four games versus National League Central opponents.
Prediction:
The Cardinals have lost five of Martinez’s last six starts, are 0-4 in his last four outings when he starts Game 1 of a series, and are 3-8 in his last 11 road starts versus an opponent with a winning record. On the other side, the Diamondbacks have won four of Ray’s last five home starts, are 21-7 in his last 28 outings overall and are 5-0 in his last five outings when he starts Game 1 of a series.
The Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks -150