Blue Jays vs. Cardinals Pick, Odds, Analysis 3/20/23

Toronto Blue Jays vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Date: Thursday, March 30th, 4:10 ET

Location: Busch Stadium

TV: MLBTV

Money Line: Blue Jays -105/Cardinals -105 (The cheapest odds are always found at BAS Sportsbook!)

Total Line: 7.5

Betting Preview

Here’s our betting preview for the upcoming MLB clash between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Blue Jays on Thursday, March 30th 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

	ML	RL	Total
	-115	-1.5	O 7.5 (-107)
	-102	+1.5	U 7.5 (-114)

Blue Jays vs. Cardinals Projected Lineup

	Batting Order	Position
George Springer	1	CF
Bo Bichette	2	SS
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	3	1B
Alejandro Kirk	4	C
Daulton Varsho	5	RF
Matt Chapman	6	3B
Brandon Belt	7	1B
Santiago Espinal	8	2B
Kevin Kiermaier	9	CF
Alek Manoah	–	SP

	Batting Order	Position
Tommy Edman	1	SS
Tyler O’Neill	2	LF
Paul Goldschmidt	3	1B
Nolan Arenado	4	3B
Willson Contreras	5	C
Brendan Donovan	6	2B
Nolan Gorman	7	2B
Lars Nootbaar	8	RF
Jordan Walker	9	3B
Miles Mikolas	–	SP

Straight Up/ Over-Under/ Runline Records

Toronto Blue Jays: 92-70 SU / OU 83-75 / Runline 75-87

St. Louis Cardinals: 93-69 SU / OU 76-80 / Runline 86-76

Recent Form

This season, the Blue Jays are focused on making it back to the post-season and competing in the AL East. Despite finishing 7 games behind in the division last year, they made it to the playoffs as a Wild Card. However, their post-season run was cut short by the Mariners in the wild card round (2-0). The Blue Jays had a home record of 47-34 and a road record of 45-36.

Last year’s squad recorded a 79-52 straight-up record when they were the favorite, including 54-77 against the runline. As the underdog, they were 13-18 straight-up and 21-10 vs. the runline. They had a record of 25-31 against the runline when playing on the road while being favored 69.1% of the time. As the road underdog, their record vs. the runline was 18-7, and 11-14 straight-up. Last season, Blue Jays’ over/under record stood at 83-75 with an average betting line of 8 runs..

The Cardinals won the NL Central pennant last season with a regular season record of 93-69, earning them the 4th best record in the NL. Despite their strong record, they were ultimately defeated by the Phillies in wild card round. Throughout the season, they were 48-28 in the division and had a 53-28 home record and 40-41 road record.

When they were the favorite, last year’s team had a straight-up record of 66-32, going 50-48 vs. the runline. In the games they entered as the underdog, St. Louis was 27-37 straight-up and 36-28. At home, the Cardinals were favored 71.6% of the time, which translated into a straight-up record of 41-17 and 29-29 against the runline. When they were the underdog at home, St. Louis was 12-11 straight-up and 15-8 vs. the runline. The Cardinals’ had a 76-80 over/under record last season, with an average betting line of 8 runs..

The Blue Jays and Cardinals had an even season series last year, with both teams securing two wins. Both teams split their season series against the runline, going 2-2. Over four games, the teams’ average scoring output was 9.8 runs per game, which resulted in an over/under mark of 3-1.

Pitching Matchup

With 31 appearances appearances for the Blue Jays last season, Alek Manoah ended with an ERA of 2.24 and an overall record of 16-7. His success last year can be attributed to his ability to limit batters’ power numbers, as he allowed a slugging percentage of just .314.

Miles Mikolas’ record last season for the Cardinals was 12-13, and his ERA was 3.29 over 33 appearances. Limiting opponent’s power numbers played a vital role in his success last year, as he allowed a slugging percentage of only .373.

Blue Jays Hitting Stats & Key Players To Watch

Blue Jays New Additions

• Daulton Varsho Diamondbacks: (BA .235, SLG .443, RBI 74, HR 27)
• Brandon Belt Giants: (BA .213, SLG .350, RBI 23, HR 8)

Cardinals Hitting Stats & Key Players To Watch

Cardinals New Additions

• Willson Contreras Cubs: (BA .243, SLG .466, RBI 55, HR 22)
• Oscar Mercado Guardians: (BA .207, SLG .372, RBI 16, HR 4)

Free MLB Pick

I just can’t go against Manoah, but I’m not that confident in the Jays getting enough runs off of Mikolas or the pen. Take the Under 7.5. Bet your MLB picks for FREE this week by scoring a 100% real cash bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $300 when you enter bonus promo code PREDICT100 at MyBookie Sportsbook!