Braves vs Cardinals Odds, Lines & Picks (April 5)

• The Braves and Cardinals wrap up a three game set in a matinee on Wednesday, April 5th
• Just recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, Bryce Elder gets the ball for Atlanta
• Below, see the Braves vs Cardinals odds and best bets

Hoping to avoid getting swept at home, the St. Louis Cardinals (2-3, 2-3 home) wrap up a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves (4-1, 4-1 away) on Wednesday, April 5th, in a matinee affair at Busch Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 pm ET in a game that can be seen on Bally Sports Midwest and Bally Sports South.

Atlanta’s offense has been rolling in the early going, putting up at least seven runs in three of their five games en route to a 4-1 start to the season. Below, we provide all the Braves vs Cardinals odds as two clubs who are expected to be playing into October finish off their early April set.

Braves vs Cardinals Odds

It should be a beautiful day for afternoon baseball in the Midwest as long as the rain holds off. St. Louis is a -124 moneyline favorite in a matchup that offers a total of 8.5 runs.

Game time temperature is expected to be 66 degrees with a 24% chance of precipitation and a mix of sun and clouds.

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Odds as of April 4th at FanDuel. Claim the FanDuel Sportsbook promo code.

Atlanta vs St. Louis Probable Pitchers

Part of the reason the Cards are the chalk in the MLB odds for this one is because of the pitching matchup. Braves ace Max Fried suffered a strained left hamstring on opening day and was placed on the 15-day injured list opening the door for Bryce Elder to be called up.

While Elder does have nine career major league starts under his belt, he is most definitely a step down from Fried, one of the National League’s top contenders in the Cy Young odds.

Elder vs Mikolas 2022 Stats

On the opposite side, Miles Mikolas takes to the bunk for St. Louis, looking to put a disastrous opening day start behind him. The all-star lasted just 3 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and five earned runs.

Not only has #STLCards RHP Miles Mikolas surrendered three runs and five hits in the first inning, he also has had to throw 33 pitches already. He's thrown 13 balls and 20 strikes.

— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) March 30, 2023

Based off last season’s performance, expect a bounce back from Mikolas against Atlanta. He only gave up five or more earned runs three times in 32 starts last year, finishing the season with a tidy 3.29 ERA.

Return of Ronald Acuna Key For Atlanta

Hindered by injuries and rehabilitation the last few years, Ronald Acuna hasn’t played a full season for Atlanta since 2019. Off to a fast start, the Braves outfielder appears intent on putting those days in the rearview.

Ronald Acuña Jr. followed up his statement at the plate with a statement about why 2023 will be much different than last season. #Braves pic.twitter.com/6vtV6SfQBA

— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) April 4, 2023

The Cardinals have struggled to keep him off base in the first two games of this series, as he’s banged out five hits including a homer and reached base six times. It’s pretty wild to think Acuna is only 25-years old, and if he stays healthy, he’ll be a strong contender in the NL MVP odds all year long.

Braves vs Cardinals Prediction

Although the Cards have been a bit Jekyll and Hyde early this campaign, the smart money is that they don’t get swept with their ace on the hill going against a pitcher who couldn’t make the Braves roster out of camp.

This could be a prelude to an October playoff meeting as both these squads are considered good bets in the odds to win the World Series. Home field might be big come October. St. Louis went 53-28 at Busch Stadium last season, so our prediction is that they avoid a 2-4 start as hosts this year.

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals Moneyline (-124)