Cardinals vs. Dodgers National League Wild Card Game Picks

There’s an instant classic in the making on Wednesday’s sports betting card when the St. Louis Cardinals go west for a winner-take-all matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Wild Card Game.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Wednesday, October 6, 2021 – 8:10 PM EDT at Dodger Stadium

It didn’t look like St. Louis would even sniff the playoffs when the Cardinals hosted the Dodgers in early September. The Cardinals dropped the first two games of that series and sat behind both the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds in the chase for the second NL wild card. A 17-game win streak changed that. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is forced into this single game play-in despite tying a franchise record with 106 wins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-9yc5vI9yM

Adding to the hype is a clash between a couple of veterans on the Chavez Ravine bump where St. Louis sends 40-years-young Adam Wainwright (17-7, 3.05) up against LA’s Max Scherzer (15-4, 2.46). (visit our Sportsbook Review) has the Dodgers -220 with 7½ for the total.

Second Playoff Meeting Between Wainwright and Scherzer

This will be just the third time Wainwright and Scherzer have squared off during their careers and serves as a rubber match between the two hurlers. The first meeting was at the end of Scherzer’s rookie season in 2008, and Wainwright prevailed in that one. It would be 11 years later before they met again in Game 2 of the 2019 NLCS at Busch Stadium. Scherzer and the Nationals were -125 chalk and got the better of Wainwright and the Cardinals in a 3-1 final.

Wainwright faced the Dodgers in St. Louis about a month ago and earned the win as a +120 underdog at top sportsbooks. He needed 9th-inning help to close out the 5-4 final, and the Dubya was one of 8-straight the Cardinals closed the campaign with Wainwright on the hill. Overall, St. Louis was 22-10 when Wainwright pitched in 2021, good enough for 12 units and some change for bettors following him and the Cardinals.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1444785929256906753

Scherzer beat the Cardinals twice this season, the first time in a Washington uniform at Nationals Park in April when he tossed six scoreless innings and struck out nine. A Labor Day clash in St. Louis saw Scherzer work eight innings with just one unearned run allowed, and 13 Cardinal hitters returning to the dugout with a K on their scorecard. The Giants and Rockies roughed

Scherzer up in his final two starts of 2021, but they went into the win column for LA, as did his other nine assignments after being dealt to the Dodgers at the trade deadline.

Muncy Unlikely on Wednesday for LA

St. Louis is in good health heading into Wednesday’s game, the Cardinals’ only two real injury concerns during the final week of the regular season each getting into a little action during the last weekend. Shortstop Edmundo Sosa missed several games due to a wrist injury but should be good to go on Wednesday.

Yadier Molina also sat out several games during the last week of play due to an injury to his golden right shoulder. Molina did return to catch the final two games of the regular season and batted .252 with 11 HR and 66 RBI on the year.

https://twitter.com/Cardinals/status/1444775106140573700

Los Angeles saw two key components go down over the final weekend, one of them Max Muncy who injured his left elbow in Sunday’s victory over the Brewers as -145 chalk on the MLB betting odds. Muncy is doubtful for Wednesday, and could miss the NLDS should the Dodgers advance. Clayton Kershaw might be done for the season after exiting his start on Friday with the same elbow/forearm issue that limited him to 22 games this year.

Cards Have Won Seven of Last Ten Playoff Meetings

Considering how strong the Cardinals played over the final few weeks, that 25/1 payoff on the MLB futures odds to win the World Series looks mighty tasty. Of course, the reason they are the biggest underdogs at this time is they’re facing a Dodgers team that is the team to beat as +400 favorites to repeat in the Fall Classic.

The regular-season series saw Los Angeles take four of seven, including two of three at Dodger Stadium. Totals ran 3-3-1 O/U/P overall, and 2-1 O/U in the games played in Los Angeles where the forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, the thermometer on 70° and a 4-6 mph SW breeze (out to right) for the start of the game a little after 5 o’clock local time.

Max Scherzer #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers signs autographs for fans. Ralph Freso/Getty Images/AFP

Joe West is reportedly going to have the plate in what could be the umpire’s final game after 44 seasons. West was 14-15-2 O/U/P during the regular season, and coupled with the cooler temps, he could have a large strike zone to help the ‘under’ along. I believe one side or the other puts up a crooked number early, however, and will make my free MLB pick on the final going past the total.

MLB Pick: (visit ourSportsbook Review)

*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.