Nationals vs. Cardinals Prediction
The St. Louis Cardinals recorded their eighth win in a row yesterday, while the Washington Nationals lost a fourth straight game. Will St. Louis complete the sweep this afternoon or can Washington taste victory once again?
Game Snapshot
957 Washington Nationals vs. 958 St. Louis Cardinals
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Busch Stadium at 7:15PM ET
TV: MLB Network
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, the Cardinals are a -133 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Nationals are a +123 underdog, while the total is set at 8.5 runs. As of Thursday morning, exactly 50 percent of public bets are being placed on visiting Washington and host St. Louis. Check out our MLB Public Betting Page for the latest info.
Gomber strong again
St. Louis rookie lefty Austin Gomber threw six shutout innings Wednesday night in a 4-2 home win over the Nats as he gave up three hits while striking out six and walking four. Bud Norris picked up his 23rd save as he threw a perfect ninth inning. Harrison Bader helped pace the offense as he went 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI. Yadier Molina finished 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Marcell Ozuna ended the game 1-for-4 with a solo home run.
Harper notches two hits
Washington star Bryce Harper finished 2-for-4 with a double in Wednesday’s loss. Anthony Rendon was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. Daniel Murphy went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and a walk. Jeremy Hellickson took the loss as he surrendered three earned runs on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks over 4 1/3 innings.
Tanner Roark (7-12, 4.12 ERA) gets the start for the Nationals today, while Luke Weaver (6-10, 4.66) will go for the Cards.
MLB Betting Trends
Washington
The Nationals are 8-21 in their last 21 road games. The under is 36-16 in the last 52 Washington road games.
St. Louis
The Cardinals are 6-0 in their last six games versus a right-handed starter. St. Louis is 5-1 in its last six during game four of a series.
Prediction:
Washington is having serious issues winning on the road, but does benefit from the replacement of Jack Flaherty as starting pitcher for St. Louis with Luke Weaver. Coming into the season, it was expected Weaver would have a bigger impact in the Cardinals rotation but instead it has been Flaherty who has flourished. Weaver still has a bright future, but he’s been out of sorts all season. Going to stick with my guns and say Roark continues to pitch well and leads the Nats to a much-needed win.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: WASHINGTON NATIONALS +123