Nationals vs Cardinals 2019 NLCS Game 1 Odds & Preview

The Washington Nationals finally won a postseason series for the first time in franchise history, eliminating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a dramatic Game 5 comeback that saw Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw flame out in the postseason once again, giving up back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning, before the Nationals hit a grand slam in the top of the tenth inning to seal a dramatic 7-3 win. The St. Louis Cardinals also went the distance in their series with the Atlanta Braves and then erupted for a playoff record for runs in a first inning, rolling to an emphatic win. With two underdogs having emerged from the two National League Division Series, the intrigue for the National League Championship Series is at fever pitch. Because both series ran long, there are two mid-rotation hurlers set to start Game 1. Can the Nationals pull off another road win? Or will the Cardinals take the early lead in the NLCS? Don’t miss our MLB betting preview.

Nationals vs Cardinals 2019 NLCS Game 1 Odds & Preview

Listen, there’s a thing going on and you really need to see it. #NLCS Watch live on @TBSNetwork and @YouTubeTV. pic.twitter.com/IMYqoOjvgw

— MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2019

When: Friday, October 11, 2019, 8:08 pm ET Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis TV: TBS Radio: ESPN Radio Live Stream: ESPN+ MLB Odds: Cardinals -125 / O/U 8 Projected Pitching Matchup: Anibal Sanchez (0-0, 1.80 ERA) (WAS) vs Miles Mikolas (1-0, 1.50 ERA) (STL) 

Why should you bet on the Nationals?

Anibal Sanchez has posted an 11-2 record since returning from some arm ailments, beginning with six innings of shutout ball against the Braves on May 29. He will face a Cardinals lineup that struggled badly in Game 3 of their series with the Braves, a game in which Atlanta threw only a dozen fastballs in 116 pitches. The Cardinals had one of the weaker offenses of all of the teams to qualify for the postseason, so their Game 5 eruption against the Braves may turn out to have been an outlier. Washington’s lineup is designed to put the ball in play, and they will face a pitcher in Miles Mikolas who pitches to contact. In 2018, Mikolas permitted 183 hits, most in the National League — but still posted a 2.84 ERA. In 2019, his regular season ERA was 4.16, although he did have five solid innings in Game 1 against a tough Atlanta lineup, and one shutout inning of relief in Game 4. If the Nationals can get runners on base early against Mikolas, they should be able to get to a Cardinals bullpen that was iffy down the stretch.

Why should you put your money on the Cardinals?

If you think the Cardinals’ bullpen is iffy, you should read about Washington’s bullpen. Their relievers had the worst ERA in all of baseball at 5.66. They have Sean Doolittle and Daniel Hudson — and that is all. This is why Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer have already made relief appearances for Washington in the postseason. When it comes to defense, the Cardinals easily outperformed Washington during the regular season. The postseason is when lazy defense gets exposed — as the Milwaukee Brewers found in the wild card game. The Cardinals have much better defensive metrics than the Nationals. St. Louis also has more of a franchise track record of postseason success, while the pressure on Washington just increased.

Final Score Prediction

The pitching that Anibal Sanchez delivered for the balance of the season makes him a strong factor in Game 1. If you add in Miles Mikolas’ trend to pitch to contact, I see Washington putting bats on balls and jumping out to an early lead, and then holding on late for a 4-3 win.