The St. Louis Cardinals (45-41) travel to face off against the Washington Nationals (41-46) on Friday, July 5th. This game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington and televised on BSMW. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 5:45 CT.

Cardinals vs. Nationals Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Nationals (+155)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 9 Runs

• Nationals have won 3 out of their last 4 home games.
• Nationals have scored an average of 5.2 runs per game in their last 5 home games.
• Nationals have a record of 4-2 in their last 6 games against teams with a winning record.
• Nationals have a 2-game winning streak coming into this game.
• Nationals have a better home record (19-21) compared to the Cardinals’ away record (21-23).

Cardinals vs Nationals

The Cardinals Are Coming Off A Win

Heading into their last game vs. the Pirates, the Cardinals closed out the series with a 3-2 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -110 on the money line. It was a two-run 2nd inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Pirates could only score two runs, both of which came in the 4th.

Andre Pallante put together a good start for the Cardinals, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. St. Louis’s offense was carried by Dylan Carlson, who went 2/3 with a double, run scored, and an RBI.

St. Louis, with a 45-41 overall record, is six games behind the Brewers in the NL Central and has a 13-12 division record. The Cardinals are 23-19 as favorites and 22-22 as underdogs, heading into today’s game against the Nationals.

When the O/U line has been set at 9 runs, the Cardinals have a 5-5-1 record, and their games have averaged 8 runs. This season, the Cardinals’ games have gone over the total 38 times and under 45 times, with an average combined run total of 8.4 runs per game.

Sonny Gray Gets The Start For The Cardinals

Sonny Gray gets the start for the Cardinals today and comes in with a record of 9-5 and an ERA of 2.98. Looking at his overall numbers, Gray has made 15 starts, seven of which were quality starts. Per nine innings, he is averaging 11.19 strikeouts, and his total for the season is 109, which ranks 10th in the league. Gray has allowed a total of seven home runs this season, and his ERA at home is 2.11 compared to 4.89 on the road. In his last outing, Gray took the loss, giving up three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Heading into today’s game, the Cardinals are 26th in the league in runs scored at 4 runs per contest. They have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.1 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .240, which is 14th in the league, and their team on-base percentage of .307 is also below the league average. One thing to note is that the Cardinals have the 9th best BABIP in the league, so they could be due for some better offensive numbers moving forward.

St. Louis is led in RBIs by Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson, who are also the team’s top two home run hitters. Burleson comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak, but he is just 6/27 in his last seven games. Nolan Gorman has also struggled of late, going 3/19 in his last seven games.

The Nationals Are Coming Off A Win

The Nationals’s offense was carried by Jesse Winker in their most recent game vs. the Mets. Winker went 1/1 with a homer and a run scored. The Nationals really only needed one run, as they picked up the json -106 win. Washington’s pitching staff was excellent, as they held the Mets to just one hit and didn’t give up a run.

Jake Irvin got the start for the Nationals, going eight innings, and didn’t give up a run. He also issued just one walk and struck out eight Mets batters. Derek Law closed things out in the 9th, picking up the save.

Washington is 41-46 overall and 16 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. The Nationals are 4th in the division, trailing the Mets by just one game for 3rd place. They have a 3-7 record in their last 10 games, but are heading into today’s matchup on a two-game winning streak.

When favored, the Nationals are 8-7 straight up, but against the run line, they have a 7-8 record as the favorite. Their overall run line record is 50-37, including a 22-18 mark at home. The O/U line for today’s game is set at 9 runs, which is slightly higher than the teams’ combined average of 8.4 runs per game.

Patrick Corbin Gets The Start For The Nationals

Left-hander Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nationals today and will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Rays. In that June 30th start, he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in six innings of work. Corbin has made 17 starts this year and has a record of 1-8 to go along with a 5.50 ERA. Looking at his home/away splits, Corbin is 0-3 with a 5.56 ERA at home compared to 1-5 with a 5.51 ERA on the road. So far, he has allowed 14 homers and is averaging 6.16 strikeouts per nine innings.

Nationals Offense Breakdown

Washington’s offense has been pretty average this season, as they are 20th in the league at 4.1 runs per game. They have been even worse in the power department, coming in 22nd in home runs and 24th in slugging percentage. As a team, the Nationals are batting just .235, which is 17th in the majors. However, they do have the 6th fewest strikeouts in the league.

CJ Abrams has been the team’s top power threat this season, as his 13 home runs is the best mark on the team and 13th in the league. He is also hitting .279 and has driven in 43 runs. Joey Meneses also has 43 RBIs but is batting just .231. Luis Garcia Jr. has been hot of late, going 5/15 with two homers over his last five games.

Cardinals vs Nationals Prediction

With the Nationals coming in as +155 underdogs, there is a lot of value in picking them up for the win over the Cardinals. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Nationals, giving you some good value on the money line.

Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Patrick Corbin finishing with five strikeouts, which is good for fifth worst among today’s starters. As for Sonny Gray, he is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which has him right in the middle of the pack.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.