Those who are betting horses will sometimes to stick to the races with the older thoroughbreds, and if you’re one of those players, you would probably be interested in Thursday’s series finale in St. Louis, when Chris Carpenter and the Cardinals will take on former Houston foe Roy Oswalt and Philadelphia.
Phillies Cardinals Betting – Thursday, 8:15 PM ET
Oswalt (4-5, 3.38) lost for the third time in four starts as the Phillies fell 4-2 in Seattle, and he scattered four runs on eight hits over 6.1 innings, striking out three and walking a pair of Mariners. If you bet on MLB baseball, you’ll remember Oswalt from his time in Houston, and that means he’s become very familiar with the St. Louis lineup as the Astros are also in the National League Central. The 33-year-old righty is 9-8 in 28 career starts against the Cardinals with a 3.15 ERA, and he is 1-3 in eight starts at the new Busch Stadium despite a solid 2.98 ERA. Some are worried about Oswalt’s declining velocity, but he has enough craftiness in his repertoire to hold off the wolves until his arm heats up.
Carpenter (1-7, 4.47) is still looking for his second win of 2011 after a 5-4 loss at home to Kansas City, allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits over eight innings of work, while striking out seven and walking one. To be fair, Carpenter should have more wins, but the Cardinals haven’t given him much run support. Also, the 2005 Cy Young winner hasn’t been as sharp as previous years, and it has all come together in a nightmare of a start for Carpenter, who is 5-2 in nine starts against the Phillies with a 5.08 ERA. The 36-year-old is 0-2 in seven starts at home with a 3.26 ERA.
If you make NFL picks, you may compare this contest to a game between veteran gunslingers looking to prove they still have something left in the tank, but they can still be effective on their day. Look for the Phillies to be favored on the road, where they romped to a 10-2 win in the series opener on Tuesday, but you shouldn’t expect a 10-run outburst on Thursday. In fact, you can wager on Carpenter to get his first win of the season at Busch Stadium as the Cardinals will take advantage of Oswalt’s lowered velocity, and they also have something to prove as many are writing off St. Louis in the wake of Albert Pujols’ injury. After getting blown out in the first game, expect the Cardinals to play better and it’ll culminate in a win for St. Louis in your betting book on Thursday.
Keyword(s): Baseball