St. Louis Cardinals vs
Oakland AthleticsPredictions & Preview

St. Louis Cardinals favored to win against Oakland Athletics with Steven Matz on the mound, Paul Blackburn to pitch for A's

The St. Louis Cardinals will be facing the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum with the first pitch set for 12:37 p.m. PT. Left-hander Steven Matz, with a 1-0 record and 1.80 ERA, will be starting for the Cardinals while the Athletics will have right-hander Paul Blackburn, who is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, on the mound. St. Louis is currently the betting favorite at -150 with the line remaining unchanged.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Cardinals -150 | Athletics +130
• Spread: Cardinals -1.5 (+115) | Athletics +1.5 (-135)
• Total: Over/Under 8 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that St. Louis will win straight-up is 60%.

St. Louis vs Oakland Stats

St. Louis Cardinals

In the first game of the series, St. Louis emerged victorious with a 3-0 win over Oakland. Sonny Gray delivered a strong performance, striking out six batters over six scoreless innings. The Cardinals scored three runs on six hits, with Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado making key contributions. St. Louis has struggled offensively this season, ranking 24th in OBP, 23rd in OPS, 28th in home runs, and 22nd in RBI. However, their pitching staff has been solid with a 3.74 ERA. Steven Matz will be the starting pitcher for St. Louis in the upcoming game. Despite his last outing resulting in four runs (one earned), Matz had a decent record last season and has limited experience against Oakland. St. Louis currently holds a power ranking of 22, ranking 22nd in offense, 8th in defense, and has a record of 8-9 this season. It is advised to conduct thorough research before choosing online sportsbooks for betting purposes.

Oakland Athletics Analysis

The Oakland Athletics are struggling to draw fans to their games, with only 5,508 in attendance at Monday's game. Despite low offensive rankings, the pitching staff has been performing decently with a 3.80 ERA. Pitcher Blackburn will start Wednesday's game after a strong performance in his last outing against the Cardinals. The team is currently ranked 27th in the power rankings and faces challenges in both offense and defense. For more MLB picks, consider checking out Expert Picks for potential winners.

Athletics' Offense Struggles Against Lefties, Cardinals Poised for Victory

The Oakland Athletics have had a batting average of .205, an on-base percentage of .250, and a slugging percentage of .362 against left-handed pitchers this season. Despite this, pitcher Matz has demonstrated solid performance by only allowing four earned runs in 15.0 innings over his last three games. Two of these games were played on the road against tough competition, unlike the upcoming matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals. It is anticipated that the Athletics will struggle to provide sufficient run support for Blackburn, which may result in a win for the Cardinals. The key for the Cardinals will be to work the Oakland starting pitcher and reach the bullpen. Given that the Athletics bullpen has not had a break since April 8, this could be their best opportunity to score. Overall, there are doubts about the Athletics' ability to secure a victory in the upcoming game, even with Blackburn starting.

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