Cardinals vs Phillies Prediction - MLB Picks 8/26/23

Philadelphia Phillies (70-58) vs St. Louis Cardinals (56-73)

Game Info: Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 7:15 pm (Citizens Bank Park)

Zack Wheeler (9-6) (3.64) vs Dakota Hudson (5-0) (3.95)

Betting Odds: Philadelphia Phillies -192 / St. Louis Cardinals +160 --- Over/Under: 9 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Philadelphia Phillies will host the St. Louis Cardinals for game two of their three-game set this Saturday from Citizens Bank Park on FOX. Philly took game one by a margin of five, 7-2.

Cardinals Preview & Projected Starter

St. Louis moved to 56-73 after losing to Philadelphia. The Cardinals scored in the first inning, and failed to touch home base for the rest of night in game two, and they’ll seek different results Saturday. The St. Louis offense is scoring 3.97 runs per game, while batting .258, with a .328 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.64 ERA, with a 1.49 WHIP.

Dakota Hudson (5-0, 3.95 ERA, 32 Ks) will get the start for St. Louis. The sixth-year pitcher tied a season-high with seven strikeouts in a win over the Mets last time out. Hudson has been the man for St. Louis this month, as each of his four starts have resulted in victories, but he will face a stiff test in Philly this weekend.

Cardinals Player Trends & Props

• Nolan Arenado has recorded a hit in five of the last seven games, and he’s St. Louis’ leader in batting (.281), home runs (26) and RBI (87).

• Paul Goldschmidt homered in the game one loss, and he leads the Cards in hits (136), with splits of .278/21/68.

• Wilson Contreras has collected a hit in eight of the last ten games, he’s posting a line of .257/13/51

• Nolan Gorman returned to the lineup last night, and he’s second on the team in homers (24), with 67 RBI

Phillies Preview & Projected Starter

Philadelphia moved to 67-57 after St. Louis. The Phillies got back into the win column last with a strong two-way effort, and they’ll look to take control of the series here in game two. The Philly offense is scoring 4.13 runs per game, while batting .254, with a .322 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 3.98 ERA, with a 1.25 WHIP.

Zack Wheeler (9-6, 3.70 ERA, 165 Ks) will take the bump for Philadelphia. The eleventh-year pitcher delivered another lengthy outing in DC last weekend, but he took the loss after allowing four runs thru seven innings pitched. That wasn’t a loss by any means for Wheeler, who’s been the Phillies best pitcher for the third straight season. Wheeler is a walking quality start, and he’s in a manageable spot to bounce back here.

Phillies Player Trends & Props

• Nick Castellanos has totaled multiple bases in four of the last six games, and he’s posting strong splits of .275/21/79.

• Bryson Stott has collected a hit in seven of the previous nine games, and he’s posting team-leads in batting (.295) and hits (138), with 52 RBI.

• Kyle Schwarber has homered in three of the last four games, and he’s among league leaders in homers (35), while leading the Phils in RBI (83).

• Alex Bohm homered in the game one victory, and he’s third on the team in RBI (78), while hitting .284.

• Bryce Harper homered in all three games against San Francisco, and after recording multiple hits in four straight games, he’s batting .301, with 47 RBI through 94 games.

Corey’s Free Pick

The Phillies delivered last night, but we could be in for a potential pitching duel here in game three. Zach Wheeler will get the ball at home in a bounce back spot, and there’s a good chance he delivers on that. Dakota Hudson has been a breath of fresh air for the Cardinals, and after winning four straight starts, he deserves some respect here. Betting the low number for a Phillies game feels borderline degen, but with the push on our side, let’s trust the arms here and roll with the Under for game two.