Saturday, October 3, 2015

Turner Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: John Lackey (13-9) vs. Shelby Miller (5-17)

The Atlanta Braves host the St. Louis Cardinals at Turner Field on Saturday. John Lackey is the probable starter for the Cardinals and he'll face Shelby Miller of the Braves. The opening line for this matchup has St. Louis at -133 and Atlanta at +123. The over/under was set at 7. The Cardinals, with a 81-78 run line record, cover the spread 51% of the time. They also have a 66-82 over/under record. The Braves are 73-86 against the run line and have a 81-69 over/under record. They cover the spread 46% of the time.

The Cardinals show up with a 100-59 record, including 45-33 on the road. John Lackey has an earned run average of 2.69 and is 13-9 so far on the season while having a 1.21 WHIP. The Cardinals are 17-15 over his 214 innings pitched and he's also given up 206 hits over that time period. Against the over/under, the Cardinals are 15-16 in his starts. The team is averaging 3.9 runs when he starts. The bullpen's earned run average is currently 2.77 and they've given up 432 hits on the season. Opposing teams are hitting .238 against the Cardinals bullpen while walking 180 times and striking out 451 times. St. Louis is averaging 8.14 strikeouts per game while getting 8.31 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 1st in baseball in team earned run average at 2.91.

St. Louis is batting .255 as a team, which is good for 12th in the league and hitting .247 away from home. Ranked at 12th in the league in on-base percentage, the Cardinals sit at .323 and they hold a .398 team slugging percentage. Jhonny Peralta leads the team in hits with 159 while the team ranks 14th in baseball with 8.64 hits per game.

Atlanta is 39-39 at home while holding a 64-95 overall record on the season. Shelby Miller is starting this game 5-17 for the season with an earned run average of 3.15 and a WHIP of 1.27. The Braves have a record of 10-22 over the 197.1 innings he's pitched during which he's given up 180 hits. Against the over/under, the Braves are 12-19 when he starts. The team is averaging 2.5 runs when he takes the field. The bullpen's earned run average is currently at 4.73 and they have given up 491 hits on the season. Opposing teams are hitting .261 against the Braves bullpen while walking 213 times and striking out 425 times. Atlanta is averaging 7.25 strikeouts per game while getting 9.33 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 27th in the league in team earned run average at 4.50.

They are batting .250 as a team, which is good for 19th in the league and hitting .247 at home. Ranked at 17th in the league in on-base percentage, the Braves sit at .314 and they hold a .357 team slugging percentage. Nick Markakis leads the team in hits with 178 while the team ranks 24th in baseball with 8.38 hits a game.

The Cardinals have committed 94 errors and have combined for 1,587 assists and 4,322 put outs leading to a .984 team fielding percentage. The Braves have committed 88 errors on the season with 1,569 assists and 4,195 put outs leading to a team fielding percentage of .985 on the year.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 66-82 against the over/under so far this season

The St. Louis Cardinals are 81-78 against the run line so far this season

Atlanta Braves Betting Trends

The Atlanta Braves are 81-69 against the over/under so far this season

The Atlanta Braves are 73-86 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

09/30/15 LF Stephen Piscotty Concussion out indefinitely
09/26/15 P Carlos Martinez Shoulder out for season
09/21/15 C Yadier Molina Thumb out for regular season
09/12/15 C Cody Stanley Suspension expected to miss 80 games
05/03/15 P Jordan Walden Bicep Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/30)

Atlanta Braves

10/02/15 2B Hector Olivera Elbow "?" Friday vs. St. Louis Cardinals
10/01/15 1B Freddie Freeman Wrist "?" Friday vs. St. Louis Cardinals
09/22/15 C Christian Bethancourt Thumb out indefinitely
09/22/15 P Mike Foltynewicz Ribs out for season
09/18/15 P Manny Banuelos Elbow out for season
08/05/15 P Jason Frasor Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/2)
07/11/15 P Jason Grilli Achilles Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (7/17); out for season
06/02/15 P Paco Rodriguez Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/30)
04/07/15 P Josh Outman Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/6)
04/04/15 P Mike Minor Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27); out for season
04/04/15 P Shae Simmons Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (2/20), out for season
04/04/15 P Chris Withrow Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (2/21)

Josh's Pick: Take the Cardinals

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