St. Louis Cardinals odds – don’t sleep on the Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals odds may not be getting much early attention from fans, but this team could very well fit into the NL Wild Card picture. The Cardinals' sports betting lines aren’t fantastic to win the Central division, but that’s because they’re lacking household names. But with Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter in the mix, plus some talented “unknowns,” St. Louis is underrated from top to bottom.
St. Louis Cardinals odds: Cardinals are +1500 to win the World Series
- Starting rotation is among NL’s best
- Lineup features some underrated hitters
- Bullpen could cause some problems
Cardinals betting sharps should take note of the value of their odds because they have a legitimate shot to win the Wild Card. Their anonymous roster is headlined by a pitching rotation that arguably features one of the best groups of starters in the National League.
Chris Carpenter is a former Cy Young Award winner and appears to be healthy again; Adam Wainwright is a stud; Kyle Lohse has emerged as a hidden gem; and Todd Wellemeyer and Joel Pineiro are decent back-end pluggers.
Wainwright and Carpenter both have ace potential but Lohse has been the real find for the Cards. When they picked him up off the scrap heap in 2007, they added a pitcher that had a career record of 63-74 and an ERA of 4.82. In 2008, Lohse went 15-6, including 8-2 at Busch Stadium, with an ERA of 3.78. If Wainwright, Carpenter and Lohse stay healthy, the Cards might have the best trio of starters in the division.
If you’re going to bet on the Cardinals, though, you’ll have to deal with bullpen concerns. After losing Jason Isringhausen in the offseason, the Cards were left with a mixed bag of arms that may or may not be capable of pitching the ninth inning. The Cards need some answers and players like Jason Motte and Chris Perez might be the solution.
In the batting lineup, Cardinals betting fans know that everything revolves around Pujols. Meanwhile, MLB odds seem to underrate All-Star Ryan Ludwick and a healthy Chris Duncan. Ducan’s power could be a big boost to the lineup as the Cardinals were without him for most of last year.
With Troy Glaus returning to the lineup from shoulder surgery in July, the Cardinals could potentially have five hitters with 20-plus home run power in their order, and that doesn’t account for Khalil Greene, who had 27 homers in 2007.
Cardinals odds are very boom or bust. Some skeptics might avoid them because of the lack of a proven closer and the lack of faith in the starting pitching. However, Cardinals betting fans know they’re worth the investment thanks to a good coaching staff that will help the bullpen overachieve. Don’t be surprised if the Cardinals are the National League Wild Card when the 2009 playoffs begin.
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Before his arm flamed out, Dale “Skip” Lalonde was famous for his high-90s heat and power at the plate. He retired young but never turned his back on baseball, earning the nickname “Skip” for his high-school coaching prowess. A true student of the game, he loves crunching the numbers when he handicaps baseball. Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
