Rob Senior previews Philadelphia Phillies vs St. Louis Cardinals Game 1 on October 7 and makes his expert pick.
Rob’s Current Picks Win Record: 2:1
The Phillies and Cardinals square off in Game 1 of a three-game series on Friday afternoon, with the winner advancing to face the Atlanta Braves in the National League Divisional Series.
The Cardinals will host all three games as NL Central champions, while the Phillies were the 6th and final team to qualify for the playoffs in the NL.
Here’s a look at Friday’s game:
- Date & Time: Friday, October 7, 2:05 P.M. Eastern
- Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies (-104) at St. Louis Cardinals (-112)
- Runline: Phillies +1.5 (-215)/Cardinals -1.5 (+185)
- Total: Over 7 (+100)/Under 7 (-120)
- Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
- Weather: 62 degrees, less than 5% chance of rain
Season Series: So far in 2022, the Phillies lead the Cardinals 4-3 in head-to-head matchups.
Starting Pitchers: Zack Wheeler (12-7, 2.82 ERA) vs. José Quintana (6-7, 2.93 ERA)
Philadelphia Phillies Preview
On paper, the Phillies certainly have a pitching edge with Wheeler’s higher strikeout rate and fewer walks allowed.
Against St. Louis this year, Wheeler is 2-0 and hasn’t allowed a run over 14 innings of pitching.
Moreover, the Phillies’ lineup hammered left-handed pitching for most of 2022, with an OPS 42 points higher than their numbers when facing righties.
St. Louis Cardinals Preview
José Quintana may appear to be an odd choice for Game 1 of a three-game series, but he was St. Louis’ most reliable pitcher down the stretch with a 0.89 ERA over his last five starts.
Quintana came to the Cardinals in a July 30 trade – one day after he pitched 5.2 scoreless innings against Philadelphia for the Pirates, his only appearance against Friday’s opponent this year.
St. Louis’ offense features mashers Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, not to mention the legendary Albert Pujols who looks to make some lasting memories in his final postseason.
Philadelphia Phillies vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction October 7, 2022
We’ve discussed the starting pitchers, but the impressive offense in this series may be another way to look. Four of the National League’s top-12 home run hitters feature in this series – Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins for Philadelphia; Arenado and Goldschmidt for the Cardinals. And that’s before we get to Bryce harper and Pujols.
With a daytime start and mashers up and down the lineups, the starting pitchers will be hard-pressed to shut down either offense. If these teams can get into their opponents’ respective bullpens, we could see a high-scoring affair.
Philadelphia Phillies vs St. Louis Cardinals Best Bets October 7, 2022
Pick 1: Philadelphia Phillies/St. Louis Cardinals over 7 runs (+100 at FanDuel)
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Bonus Bet: Philly’s all-or-nothing approach leads to prodigious numbers, but they swing and miss at their share of pitches as well.
With Quintana routinely pitching into the sixth or seventh inning of late, his strikeouts are worth a shot at this number.
Pick 2: José Quintana over 3.5 strikeouts (-108 at BetMGM)
Click here to read Rob’s October 7 preview and best bets for San Diego Padres vs New York Mets.
