The Washington Nationals (5-8 SU, 5-8 O/U) have the highest team batting average in the National League but rank fourth-last in runs scored – and getting to the bottom of that conundrum could help them escape the NL East basement as they open a series with St. Louis (7-8 SU, 8-6-1 O/U). Washington took two of three from the Cards in their previous encounter April 12-14.
- Date/Time: April 19, 7:05 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Nationals Stadium
- TV Coverage: BSMW, MASN
- Sportsbook Odds: Cardinals -107 | O/U 8 (Line History)
- Cardinals vs Nationals Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
St. Louis opened as an ever so slight -107 favorite but has seen those odds climb to -120 in the majority of spots. The total for Monday’s game has held steady at 8.
Starting Pitchers Analysis
St. Louis sends right-hander Jack Flaherty (2-0, 4.11 ERA) to the mound in Monday’s opener. Flaherty earned the Cardinals’ only win the last time these teams met, limiting Washington to a run on three hits over five solid innings in a 14-3 win. Flaherty has held his last two opponents to one combined run over 11 innings after getting torched in his season opener vs Cincinnati.
Washington counterpart Joe Ross (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was even more successful in the previous series between the teams. The imposing righty twirled six shutout innings with five strikeouts in a 6-0 Washington win, and has thrown 11 scoreless frames to open his 2021 campaign. Members of the St. Louis roster have a combined .087/.116/.113 slash line vs Ross.
St. Louis News & Notes
The Cardinals as a whole are struggling at the plate, coming into the new week with a .221/.304/.374 slash line and a whopping 140 strikeouts in 494 at-bats.
That has depressed the team’s daily fantasy salaries as a whole – and while Ross kept the Cards at bay last time out, you could do worse than to take a shot on Nolan Arenado (.271, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs) in this spot.
Washington News & Notes
The Nationals have two things working against them on offense, despite their terrific .267/.326/.403 slash line – their 7.2 percent walk rate is third-lowest in the majors, and just 27 percent of their hits have gone for extra bases (the third-worst rate in baseball).
Look for things to normalize soon, particularly for players like star outfielder Juan Soto, who has just two homers in 56 plate appearances.
Betting Pick: UNDER 8
With the Nationals stuck in Sportsbook-to-Sportsbook mode and the Cardinals still finding their offensive footing this season, Monday’s game is looking like another opportunity for Flaherty and Ross to shine.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The Cardinals are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games vs the Nationals.
- The UNDER is 4-1 in Washington’s past 5 games.
- The UNDER is 6-0 in St. Louis’s past 6 Monday games.
