Scherzer, Nationals Are -140 Favorites vs Wainwright, Cardinals in NLCS Game 2 – Picks & Odds
- Washington Nationals favored to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in their NLCS matchup with St. Louis
- Nationals drew first blood with impressive 2-0 win over Cardinals in Game 1
- Check out NLCS preview and predictions below
The Washington Nationals will try to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in their NLCS matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals when they hit the field for Game 2 on Saturday as -140 favorites.
Nationals vs Cardinals Odds – Game 2
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Nationals | -1.5 (+115) | -140 | Ov 7.0 (-120) |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +1.5 (-135) | +130 | Un 7.0 (+100) |
*Odds taken 10/12/19
Nationals Seize Home-Field Advantage with Game 1 Win
The Nationals took Game 1 and home-field advantage in the series with a 2-0 victory in game 1 as +126 underdogs, and have now take a three-game win streak into Saturday afternoon’s Nationals vs Cardinals matchup at Busch Stadium.
The @Nationals are the 1st team to allow 1 hit in a #postseason game since the 2013 @tigers (Game 1, ALCS).
Aníbal Sánchez started that game, too. pic.twitter.com/W5Wxdzvlvj
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 12, 2019
Pitcher Anibal Sanchez powered the Nationals to the win, surrendering just one hit while striking out five batters over 7.2 innings to earn the decision, and extend Washington’s current stingy streak in postseason play. The Nationals have surrendered just four total runs over their past three contests, including wins in Games 4 and 5 of their NLDS clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers that earned the club its first postseason series victory since 1981.
The Nationals have surrendered just four total runs over their past three contests, including wins in Games 4 and 5 of their NLDS clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers that earned the club its first postseason series victory since 1981
Now enjoying a 15-3 run since September 20, the Nationals have posted wins in three of four road dates in the postseason, and have climbed to heavy -245 favorites to win the series.
Scherzer Steady in Three Postseason Appearances
Righthander Max Scherzer gets the call for the Nationals in Game 2 on Saturday afternoon. The 35-year-old has rebounded from a shaky finish to the regular season, with a trio of solid postseason appearances, capped by a 7.0 inning, four-hit performance to earn the victory in the club’s 6-1 win over the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS.
MUSIC TO OUR EARS.
Max Scherzer has struck out 4 straight batters (and 5 of the last 6).
?on // #Scherzday pic.twitter.com/AeorskuNka
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 8, 2019
Scherzer has limited opposing batters to a .174 batting average over his three postseason starts, but was roughed up in a pair of starts against St. Louis this season, allowing eight total earned runs over 13.2 total innings to get tagged with the loss in each of those outings.
Cards Continue to Stumble at the Plate
That’s as good as the news gets for the Cardinals, who enter Game 2 lagging as +130 underdogs in the Nationals vs Cardinals odds . St. Louis batters struggled once again in Game 1, putting just two runners on base, continuing their streaky play at the plate during the postseason. Cardinals hitters have been quiet, producing a team batting average of just .222.
Goldschmidt and Ozuna want a game 5 #Cardinals pic.twitter.com/gkhV7yClJ9
— Take Your Base Sports (@takeyourbasepod) October 7, 2019
That number would be far lower were it not for the club’s 13-1 demolition of the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of their NLDS matchup, as well as the steady performance of Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna, who have combined to produce 40% of the club’s hits so far in the postseason.
Wainwright Dominant in Two Starts vs Nats This Season
However, the Cardinals maintain a respectable head-to-head record against Washington, with wins in five of eight overall meetings this season, and a 13-6 record in 19 meetings, while posting consecutive losses just once during that stretch. The club will also be looking for another big performance out of righthander Adam Wainwright when he goes to the hill for Saturday afternoon’s contest.
Adam Wainwright was disappointed he didn't get the #STLCards into the playoffs the past few years when he was "paid a lot of money" to do so. Think he'll make up for it this time? #TimeToFly pic.twitter.com/pFDh1iJjXa
— KMOXSports (@KMOXSports) October 11, 2019
The 38-year-old was lights out in his only previous start of this postseason, surrendering just four hits in 7.2 innings of shutout ball in the Cardinals’ 3-1 loss to Atlanta as +113 home underdogs in Game 3 of the NLDS. Wainwright has now allowed one or fewer earned runs in four of his past five home starts, and limited the Nationals to just two total earned runs in a pair of sparkling performances earlier this season.
Pick: St. Louis Cardinals to win Game 2 (+130); UNDER 7.0 (+100)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
