St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction, 3/28/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024

Location: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA

TV: Bally Sports Midwest

Odds/Point Spread: St. Louis (+165) Los Angeles (-200)

Dodger Stadium is the site where the Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62 last season) will attempt to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals (71-91 last year) on Thursday. The odds on this game have the Cardinals at +165 while the Dodgers are sitting at -200. The total is 8.5. The starting pitchers will be Miles Mikolas and Tyler Glasnow.

As a unit, the St. Louis Cardinals scored 4.4 runs per game, which was 19th in the league. They tallied 719 runs scored and held an on-base percentage of .326. The Cardinals compiled 264 two-baggers as a team and smacked 209 balls out of the park. They compiled 697 RBI's as well as 1,376 base knocks over the course of last season, while their batting average sat at .250. St. Louis had a slugging percentage of .416 and struck out 1,326 times, while drawing a walk on 570 occasions.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio was 2.29 and their pitching staff had a collective WHIP of 1.46. Cardinals pitchers gave up 179 home runs and 829 total runs (25th in baseball). St. Louis allowed 1,549 base knocks (9.8 per 9 innings) and 760 earned runs. The Cardinals had a team ERA of 4.79 during the previous year (24th in baseball), and their staff struck out 1,215 hitters. They walked 530 opposing players and their FIP came in at 4.43 as a unit last year.

The Cardinals relievers accumulated a save rate of 56.3% and stepped onto the hill in 155 save situations. The bullpen inherited 274 runners last season with 32.5% of those players crossed home plate. Cardinals bullpen pitchers went to the mound with runners on 173 times and also had 164 contests in high leverage situations. The Cardinals dispatched 484 relief pitchers to the mound last season. The relief pitchers had 89 holds for the prior year (11th in MLB). They earned 36 saves over the course of last season and did not convert 28 of 64 save opportunities.

The St. Louis Cardinals accumulated 4,285 putouts for the prior year, in addition to 1,592 assists and 67 errors. Their fielding rate held steady at .989 which put them in 3rd in baseball, and they twisted 154 double plays. The Cardinals transformed 67.0% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 12,855 innings, which had them ranked 29th in the majors.

Mikolas (54-53 record in his career) has earned a FIP of 4.03 and he has gone up against 3,829 batters in the major leagues. He has given up 914 base hits (8.9 hits per nine innings) and has 184 walks. His ERA is 3.93 (404 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.188. Mikolas has taken the ball for 924 frames and is sitting with 673 K's in his MLB career.

The Dodgers had a SLG% of .455 and they scored 5.59 runs per contest (2nd in baseball). They hit 303 two-baggers, while getting a free base 644 times and recording 906 runs. Los Angeles accounted for 249 long balls last year to go along with 877 RBIs. They were rung up on 1,359 occasions (20th in the league) and totaled 1,422 hits. The Los Angeles Dodgers had a team OBP of .340 and a batting average of .257 over the course of the prior season.

The Los Angeles pitching staff conceded 699 runs last year while having a team ERA of 4.06 (652 earned runs conceded). They relinquished 200 home runs and they surrender 4.35 runs per 9 innings (10th in baseball). The Dodgers had a team WHIP of 1.202 and had a FIP of 4.23 as a staff over the course of last year. Their K/BB ratio came in at 8.60 (1,388 strikeouts against 454 walks). They were ranked 5th in baseball as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,284.

Los Angeles bullpen pitchers held an inherited score rate of 26.1% out of their 203 inherited runners. Their bullpen pitchers stepped onto the mound 157 times in high leverage situations in addition to 135 occasions with runners on. With 150 save situations, the Dodgers earned 88 holds in addition to 17 blown saves. They were ranked 3rd in the league holding a save percentage of 72.1%, and they dispatched 551 relief pitchers to the hill last year. Los Angeles had bullpen pitchers enter the game in 61 save chances and they walked away with 44 saves.

Out of their 13,017 innings on the field, the Dodgers held a efficiency on defense of 70.9% (2nd in professional baseball). The Los Angeles Dodgers turned 139 double plays and had a fielding rate of .987 (10th in MLB). The Dodgers recorded 1,406 assists, 76 errors and earned a total of 4,339 putouts for the prior year.

Glasnow (30-27 career mark) has a 3.89 earned run average and has conceded 7.2 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.15 and he has faced 2,217 batters so far in his career. He has surrendered a total of 231 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.206 and having a FIP of 3.6. During his career, Glasnow has surrendered 429 hits while tallying 681 strikeouts in 534 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take St. Louis (+165)

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