Who: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins

Where: loanDepot Park, Miami, FL

When: 6:40pm EST

Moneyline: Cardinals +115/Marlins -125

Run Line: Cardinals +1.5 (-190)/ Marlins -1.5 (+170)

Total: 8 (-110/-110)

It’s been a rough year for the Cardinals (35-48) who currently sit at the bottom of the NL Central. The Marlins (48-37), on the other hand, are enjoying some success midway through the season with the second-best record in the National League. 

This should be an interesting matchup since each team’s individual strength is the opposing squad’s weakness. While the Cardinals have enjoyed success at the plate, it is their pitching that has struggled mightily this season, ranking 24th in team ERA (4.52), 26th in strikeouts (670), and 26th in wins (35) in the MLB. The Marlins, meanwhile, rank 13th in ERA (4.07), 4th in strikeouts (796), and 6th (48) in wins.

On the offensive front, however, the Cardinals rank 12th in runs (383), 7th in home runs (113), and 11th in OBP (.326) whereas the Marlins rank 26th in runs (341), 24th in home runs (79), and 15th in OBP (.319).

For the first game of the four-game series, St. Louis will send Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.44 ERA) to the mound while Miami has Braxton Garrett (4-2, 3.53 ERA) slated to start. Miami is also looking to end a three-game losing streak after being swept by the Braves. Prior to that series, Miami had won five straight.

The Marlins may seem enticing at -125, especially since they own a 25-16 record at home and are eager to end their losing skid. However,  The Cards match up well with the Marlins, considering St. Louis can be dangerous on the offensive side of the plate. Even though Mikolas has struggled on the year, he should benefit from an anemic Marlins’ offense.