Mikolas, Cardinals -115 Favorites vs Sanchez, Nationals in Game 1 of NLCS – Picks & Odds

• Game 1 of the 2019 NLCS between Washington and St. Louis is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11
• Number-four starter Anibal Sanchez takes the mound for the Nationals
• The Cardinals are modest -115 favorites with steady but unspectacular Miles Mikolas on the mound

The Washington Nationals will be making their first appearance in the NLCS since the franchise relocated from Montreal following the 2004 season when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals for Game 1 on Friday night as +105 underdogs (8:08 PM ET, Oct. 11th).

Nationals vs Cardinals – NLCS Game 1 Odds

*Odds taken 10/09/19

Nationals Advance to NLCS in Spectacular Fashion

Washington punched its ticket to the NLCS with a pair of wins while facing elimination, capped by a thrilling 7-3 extra-innings victory in Game 5 to knock off the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers. The win marked the franchise’s first postseason series victory since 1981.

Howie Kendrick hits a go-ahead grand slam in extra innings of Game 5, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/dPfWWArbm0

— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) October 10, 2019

The Nationals have been red-hot since mid-September, avoiding consecutive losses during a 14-3 run that began on September 20. Nationals batters have maintained a steady pace during the club’s late-season surge, scoring six or more runs in 10 of their past 17 contests, in Games 4 and 5 against the Dodgers.

Nats Producing Middling Road Results

The club has produced middling results on the road in recent weeks, though, going 5-4 in their past nine. The Nationals have also struggled in recent trips to Busch Stadium, going 3-7 in their past 10, and scoring two or fewer runs in five of those contests.

Aníbal Sánchez had 2 games of 8+ Ks in 2019.

He has 8 strikeouts through 4 innings tonight.

Of Game 3 of the NLDS.

🦋 🦋 🦋 🦋 🦋 🦋 🦋 🦋#BeatLA // #STAYINTHEFIGHT pic.twitter.com/aYreDp2hBM

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 7, 2019

Those struggles extend to Washington’s expected starter in Game 1, Anibal Sanchez. The veteran right-hander has taken the loss in his past two starts against the Cardinals, capped by a five-inning, three-earned run performance in a 3-2 home loss to St. Louis on April 30.

Sanchez … saw a strong start wasted in Game 3 of the NLDS, surrendering just four hits and one earned run over 5.0 innings.

However, Sanchez has been a steady presence on the mound, posting wins in his final three regular-season starts. He also saw a strong start wasted in Game 3 of the NLDS, surrendering just four hits and one earned run over 5.0 innings in Washington’s 10-4 in Game 3.

Cards Making Fifth NLCS Appearance Since 2011

While the Nationals enjoy a long-awaited postseason series victory, the Cardinals prepare to make their fifth appearance in the NLCS since 2011. Thanks in part to home-field advantage, the Nationals vs Cardinals Game 1 odds opened at St. Louis -115.

Hammering the Braves tonight, the @Cardinals are off to their 14th #NLCS in franchise history thanks to a winning margin that ranks 2nd here (oddly enough, on a list of games all involving Cards teams) pic.twitter.com/nh6agNQkO7

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 10, 2019

Like the Nationals, the Cardinals also advanced to the NLCS on the strength of consecutive wins while facing elimination. The club’s NLDS matchup with the Atlanta Braves quickly became notable for strong pitching, with St. Louis coming up short in a pair of epic pitching duels that resulted in Braves victories in Games 2 and 3.

NLDS Win Powered by Offensive Outbursts

But ultimately, the Cardinals offense would not be denied. St. Louis built its NLDS series win on a pair of offensive explosions, starting in Game 1, when the Cardinals erased a two-run deficit by scoring five times over the final two innings in a 7-6 win.

The Cardinals also scored 10 first-inning runs in Game 5 (a playoff record) on their way to a series-clinching 13-1 victory as a -105 road bet.

The Cardinals got off to a HISTORIC start – 10 RUNS IN THE 1ST INNING 😳 the most ever in the 1st inning off a postseason game !

The Cards run riot 13-1 in game 5 to advance to the NLCS 🏆 #TimeToFly #WePlayLoud pic.twitter.com/aKoUd3V4fX

— Redshirt Heisman (@TasteOfSport) October 10, 2019

The Cardinals now return home aiming to win three in a row for the first time in 11 games.

However, St. Louis endured a middling run on home turf down the stretch, going 9-8 in 17 contests since the beginning of September. The offense has been wildly inconsistent during that stretch, scoring three or fewer runs on seven occasions, but also scoring nine or more runs in three of five shutout victories during that stretch.

Mikolas Steady in Two NLDS Appearances

St. Louis is expected to give the ball to right-hander Miles Mikolas in Game 1. The 31-year-old made two appearances in the NLDS, turning in 5.0 innings of steady work in Game 1, allowing just three hits and one earned run in the Cardinals’ 7-6 victory.

He also closed the door with three straight outs in the 10th-inning of the club’s 5-4 win in Game 4.

Kolten Wong on Miles Mikolas' strong start: "If it's not for Miles, you don't know where this game goes. … Miles is the reason why we won this game." #TimeToFly pic.twitter.com/b8EdCky48o

— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) October 4, 2019

However, Mikolas had mixed results in a pair of starts against the Nationals this season. He earned the win with a seven-hit, one-run performance in a 5-1 victory in Washington on May 1, but was tagged for eight hits, three earned runs, and one home run in a 6-2 loss at Busch Stadium on September 17.

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals to win Game 1 (-115); OVER 8.0 (-115)