The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals play Game 1 of an NL Wild Card Series Friday at Busch Stadium. First pitch is slated for 2:07 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Phillies vs. Cardinals odds with MLB picks and predictions.
Season series: Phillies won 4-3
Philadelphia got a little leaky down the stretch after playing .642 baseball in June, July and August (52-29). The Phillies struggled the week heading into Labor Day, and they went just 7-13 over their last 20 games of the season. The Phils finished 7th in runs per game (4.61) and 15th in runs allowed per game (4.23).
The Cardinals rode a solid-but-slightly-underperforming start to the season and a monster August to an eventual 93-win campaign. The Redbirds went 22-7 in August and were 17-14 between Sept. 1 and the end of the season.