The St. Louis Cardinals (0-0) take on the Los Angeles Dodgers (1-1) Thursday at Dodger Stadium at 4:10 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Cardinals vs. Dodgers odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting; Dodgers won series 4-3 in 2023
The Cardinals are starting the season off on the wrong foot with a slew of injuries. RHP Sonny Gray (hamstring), OF Dylan Carlson (shoulder), OF Lars Nootbaar (ribs), INF/OF Tommy Edman (wrist) and RHP Keynan Middleton (forearm) will all begin the season on the injured list. They still pack a talented roster with the likes of 3B Nolan Arenado, 1B Paul Goldschmidt and C Willson Contreras. They also have an infusion of youth with OF Jordan Walker, SS Masyn Winn and OF Victor Scott II. They have a brutal schedule to open the season, and that starts here.
The Dodgers split the series in Korea against the San Diego Padres, winning' 5-2 and dropping the 2nd game 15-11. SS Mookie Betts is already turning heads by starting the season 6 for 9 (.667) with a HR and a double. The Dodgers are loaded after acquiring DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani and RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the offseason. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a game where they’ll be underdogs this season.