Phillies vs. Cardinals Prediction: Sanchez vs. Mikolas – Who Wins? (April 12)

Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Date: Saturday, April 12th, 2:15 ET
Location: Busch Stadium
TV: NSPP+
Money Line: Phillies -158/Cardinals +134
Total Line: 7.5

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Phillies on Saturday, April 12th at Busch Stadium. We provide you with a comprehensive analysis, odds, and predictions to help with your handicapping decision or tail our expert based on the projected lineups and listed starting pitchers.

Betting Odds

Coming in with a record of 8-5, the Phillies are favored on the money line today at -158, while the Cardinals are 6-7 overall, and their money line odds are sitting at +134. Today’s over/under line is at 7.5 runs, and the game will get started at 2:15 PM ET from Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO.

NSPP+ will be televising today’s Phillies vs. Cardinals matchup and the forecast for Saturday’s game calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 50s. Cristopher Sanchez will be starting for the Phillies, and he is facing off against Miles Mikolas for the Cardinals.

Phillies vs. Cardinals Projected Lineup

Straight Up/Over-Under/ Runline Record

Philadelphia Phillies: 8-5 SU / OU 4-9 / Runline 8-5
St. Louis Cardinals: 6-7 SU / OU 9-3 / Runline 6-7

St. Louis picked up a 2-0 win over the Phillies in the most recent game of this series. The Cardinals had just two more hits than the Phillies and struck out 10 times, but still picked up the win. Heading into the game, they were at -104 on the money line.

Andre Pallante started for the Cardinals and picked up the win, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with just four strikeouts and allowed two hits. Ryan Helsley got the save. Aaron Nola had a rough outing for the Phillies, taking the loss after going five innings and giving up two earned runs.

Yohel Pozo was the difference for the Cardinals’ offense, as he went 3/4 with an RBI. Thomas Saggese also had two hits and scored a run for St. Louis.

Phillies Records & Recent Play

With an overall record of 8-5, the Phillies are 2nd in the NL East, one game behind the Mets for the division lead. The Phillies have dropped two straight games, and this losing streak comes after winning four in a row. So far, they are 3-3 in divisional matchups.

At home, the Phillies have been strong, going 5-1 this year. But on the road, they are just 3-4 and have dropped two straight road games. As for their record as the underdog, the Phillies are 8-5 this year and have yet to be favored in a game.

Cardinals Records & Recent Play

St. Louis is 6-7 overall this season, and they are 1.5 games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. So far, they have gone just 1-2 in divisional games, and they have dropped three of their last four series. The Cardinals are coming off a series loss to the Reds and are 3-7 over their last 10 games.

At home, the Cardinals have gone 5-2 this year, and they have won two straight at home. On the road, the Cardinals have struggled, going just 1-5 this season. So far, they have yet to win a game as the favorite this year, and they are 5-2 as the underdog.

Pitching Matchup

Cristopher Sánchez will be making his third start of the season for the Phillies, and it will be his first road start. He has been solid in his first two outings, going 5 2/3 innings and 5 1/3 innings, respectively. In his last start, he struck out nine but did give up a home run.

Miles Mikolas is getting the start for the Cardinals today as they take on the Phillies. Mikolas has started two games this season and is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Red Sox, where he gave up nine runs in 2 2/3 innings. In his first start of the year, he went 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs vs. the Angels.

Phillies vs. Cardinals Offense Outlook

Philadelphia comes into the game with the league’s 9th best batting average and are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 14th in the MLB. The Phillies have been good at drawing walks this season and are near the top of the league in on-base percentage. Kyle Schwarber has been a big part of the Phillies’ offense so far, as he is batting .280 for the season and has gone 2/6 with two homers over his last six games.

As a team, the Phillies are 9th in home runs and have the league’s top home run hitter in, Kyle Schwarber. Nick Castellanos and Bryce Harper are also tied for 2nd on the team with two homers apiece. Castellanos is batting .271, and Harper is hitting .250 for the season.

St. Louis comes into today’s game as one of the league’s top offenses, averaging 5.7 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 6.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are the league’s 2nd-best hitting team, with a team batting average of .278. The Cardinals also lead the league in on-base percentage and have the best team BABIP in the league.

Over his last seven games, Brendan Donovan has gone 14/27 with a home run and seven RBIs. For the season, he is batting .365. Iván Herrera has also been swinging the bat well, as he is batting .381 with a team-high four home runs.

Free Phillies vs. Cardinals MLB Pick

Christopher Sanchez has looked good to start the year, striking out 7 and 9 in his first two starts, respectively. Even though he gave up four earned runs vs the Dodgers, there aren’t many starters in the league who are going to be able to lock down that lineup. In this matchup vs Miles Mikolas and the Cardinals, I’m taking the Phillies to win and cover the runline at +115 line.