Inter-league play resumes on Friday as the Cardinals take on the Rangers at Busch Stadium in a key battle on the odds menu.

The Cardinals will turn to Tyler Lyons and his 2-3 record as they look for a win in this one, while the Rangers send Derek Holland (5-4) to the hill.



View Texas vs St Louis Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
St. Louis was a -118 moneyline favorites earlier in the day at Sportsbook, based on the starting pitcher matchup. That pairing made odds makers at Sportsbook settle on an Sportsbook over under number of 8.5.

Power Rankings:
The Cardinals sit at No. 1 in the National League in the current MLB power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Rangers sit at an American League No. 5 on the same chart.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits St. Louis' No. 1-rated National League offense, averaging 5 runs per game, against a Rangers defense that ranks No. 6 in the American League at 4.1 in runs allowed per game. The Cardinals have averaged 9.5 hits per game so far, more than Rangers batters have averaged on the year (9 hits per game).

Pitching and defensive stats are important baseball handicapping factors and St. Louis has the National League's No. 3-ranked defense. In the other dugout, the Rangers own the American League's No. 6 mark in runs allowed.

Last time out for Texas, they were a 4-3 Sportsbook as they battled the Athletics at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Rangers at -103 were rewarded, while the 7 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Rangers enjoyed a 4-3 victory at the expense of the Athletics on Thursday, with Josh Lindblom throwing 5 innings of 8-hit ball at Rangers Ballpark.

Last time out for St. Louis, they were a 6-1 Sportsbook as they battled the Cubs at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Cardinals at -171 were rewarded, while the 7 combined runs moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Cardinals enjoyed a 6-1 victory at the expense of the Cubs on Thursday, with Lance Lynn throwing 6 innings of 3-hit ball at Busch Stadium.


Texas Rangers Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing St. Louis are 6-4
After playing Oakland are 7-3
After a win are 4-6

St. Louis Cardinals Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Texas are 5-5
After playing Chi Cubs are 8-2
After a win are 3-7

A few Rangers at Cardinals trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Texas' last 11 games
Texas is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Texas is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis' last 5 games
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis' last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games


Next up:
Texas at St. Louis, Saturday, June 22