San Diego Cardinals vs St. Louis Cardinals – MLB Free Pick – Thursday March 31, 2011
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San Diego Padres vs St. Louis Cardinals
Thursday March 31 4:15 PM – ESPN
Pitching Probables: Tim Stauffer vs Chris Carpenter
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It is going to be hard for the San Diego Padres to match last year unexpected success. They are missing their top offensive threat in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and all of their offseason moves question their motivation about being really competitive this season. It also doesn’t help that their ace Mat Latos begins the year on the DL forcing former top prospect Tim Stauffer into the limelight this afternoon. Stauffer was very good down the stretch after being reinserted into to the rotation but he just might be the weakest opening day starter in the league (him of Luke Hochevar). Unfortunately for Padres fans there is not a lot to like about them this year, although I do expect outfield prospect Cameron Maybin to begin to shine in a less pressure filled environment.
The Cardinals are also dipping deeper into their rotation than they would like for Opening Day but they have the luxury of having former Cy Young Winner Chris Carpenter to fill in for the out all year Adam Wainright. The Cardinals are a team of extreme intrigue as the season begins with the Albert Pujols situation making many wonder what direction the team will ultimately go. As things stand this team is still a contender in the NL Central and a good start will quell some of the uncertainty in their fan base, but if they start poorly things could change in a hurry.. They have the luxury of starting the season at home against a Padres team of which little is expected so a good start seem very likely.
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Prediction: A Cardinals victory stems the tide of negativity around their season for a day. Carpenter should be dominant against a lineup with a lot of question marks.
Score Prediction:
St. Louis Cardinals – 6 / San Diego Padres – 1
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San Diego Padres Betting Trends:
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego’s last 5 games
- San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Diego’s last 7 games on the road
- San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends:
- St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis’s last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis’s last 5 games at home
- St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
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