St. Louis Cardinals vs. Texas Rangers Spread, Line, Odds, Predictions, Picks and Betting Preview

This MLB matchup shows the underperforming St. Louis Cardinals taking on the Texas Rangers. The talk of the town is Marcus Semien and his impressive hitting streak, which he’ll look to extend to 26 games. The Rangers have been making waves along with a potent lineup that includes Corey Seager. With Texas favored at a -142 moneyline price and a total listed at nine, this game is expected to be exciting.

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Tonight’s pitchers are Jack Flaherty for the Cardinals and Jon Gray for the Rangers. Despite losing Jacob DeGrom for the season, the Rangers have remained strong with Gray, who has proved an excellent pitcher this season.

Can we trust the Cardinals (+121) as underdogs in this spot? The consensus seems to be leaning toward “no." The concern lies with Flaherty on the road. Despite decent performances in his last few starts, his persisting walks problem is worrying. Against a strong-hitting Rangers lineup, giving extra opportunities could lead to disastrous results. Hence, it seems like the smart money is on Texas.

Flaherty’s 4.61 xFIP is not impressive, but his splits offer some promise. As a right-handed pitcher, he has struggled against right-handed batters with a .357 weighted on-base percentage and an ISO of .200. However, he has excelled against left-handed batters with a .279 weighted on-base percentage and an ISO of .018. Given that he’s expected to face six left-handed batters today, this may work in his favor.

Gray, on the other hand, has been phenomenal in the past 30 days with a manageable xFIP, a K rate close to 30%, and impressive splits. His weighted on-base percentage against left-handed batters is .180 and .217 against right-handed batters. His ISO power numbers are also remarkable: .069 against lefties and .088 against righties.

All these numbers suggest that Texas, with its formidable batting order and Gray’s strong pitching, is the team to beat in this matchup. It’s hard to go against the Rangers, given these stats and the Cardinals’ inconsistent performance this year.