The Philadelphia Phillies make their first postseason appearance in 11 years on Friday when they take on the National League Central Division champion St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of their best-of-three Wild Card Series. The Phillies (87-75), who placed third in the NL East, lost their last two regular-season games after wrapping up a spot in the 2022 MLB playoffs on Monday. The Cardinals (93-69), who won their first division title in three years, are making their fourth consecutive postseason appearance. They have lost in the Wild Card round in each of the past two seasons.
First pitch from Busch Stadium in St. Louis is set for 2:07 p.m. ET. The Cardinals lead the all-time series 1,196-924, including a 3-2 edge in the playoffs. Both teams are listed at -110 favorites on the money line (risk $110 to win $100) in the latest Phillies vs. Cardinals odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 7. Before making any Cardinals vs. Phillies picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, and it entered the final week of the regular season on an 18-8 run on top-rated money-line MLB picks, returning almost $700 for $100 players. This is the same model that pegged the 2021 Atlanta Braves at 10-1 as one of three best bets to win it all last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cardinals vs. Phillies and revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see all of the model’s MLB picks. Here are several MLB odds and trends for Phillies vs. Cardinals:
- Phillies vs. Cardinals money line: Philadelphia -110, St. Louis -110
- Phillies vs. Cardinals over-under: 7 runs
- Phillies vs. Cardinals run line: Cardinals -1.5 (+185)
- PHI: The Phillies are 14-5 in their last 19 Friday games
- STL: The Cardinals are 20-7 in their last 27 games following a loss
- Phillies vs. Cardinals picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Why you should back the Cardinals
St. Louis, which finished seven games ahead of second-place Milwaukee in the NL Central, will send lefthander Jose Quintana (6-7, 2.93 ERA) to the mound. Since being acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline, Quintana has been sharp. He is 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts. In his last outing on Monday, he pitched three innings against the Pirates, allowing one walk and one hit. Prior to that, he allowed just one earned run on four hits in five innings, but took a 5-1 loss to the Brewers. He walked two and struck out seven in that game.
Offensively, Paul Goldschmidt is the pace-setter, batting .317 with 35 homers, 115 RBI and 106 runs scored. He was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI in a division-clinching 6-2 win at Milwaukee on Sept. 27. In seven games against Philadelphia this season, Goldschmidt was 6-for-24 (.250) with a pair of doubles. In 65 career games against the Phillies, he is batting just .249, but has cranked out 14 doubles, one triple and nine home runs. He has also stolen four bases.
Why you should back the Phillies
Philadelphia will send right-hander Zack Wheeler (12-7, 2.82 ERA) to the mound. Wheeler has won four of his last six decisions, and has 163 strikeouts and just 34 walks this season. In Wheeler’s last appearance, an 8-1 win at Washington on Sunday, he allowed just two hits, while striking out seven in five innings. He has dominated St. Louis this season, going 2-0 against the Cardinals. In 14 innings of work, he has allowed nine hits, two walks and 10 strikeouts with zero runs crossing the plate.
Third baseman Alec Bohm has helped fuel the Phillies offense, batting .280 with 13 home runs, 72 RBI and 79 runs scored. He has feasted on Cardinals pitching this season. In six games, he batted .421 with a triple, two homers and three RBI. In 13 career games against them, Bohm is 13-for-43 (.302) with one double, one triple, two homers and seven RBI.
