L.A. Angels @ St. Louis
St. Louis -1½ +153 over L.A. Angels

Posted at 2:15 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle -1½ +153 BET365 -1½ +150 Sportsinteraction -1½ +145 888Sport -1½ +145

St. Louis -1½ +153 over L.A. Angels

7:45 PM EST. Patrick Sandoval (LHP - LAA) is coming off his strongest start of the season, going seven innings while allowing just two earned runs on six hits, with five strikeouts and no walks. That said, that start came against the 6-23 Oakland A's. Prior to that breakout performance, Sandoval issued six free passes over four innings in his April 20 start against the Yankees. Remove that gimme against the A's, and the picture of Sandoval is not nearly as pretty. The dude has been walking hitters left and right and had a 5.79 BB/9 walk rate before pitching against Oakland. Even with that goose egg, which is the exception and not the norm, Sandoval's walk rate is an inflated 4.21 BB/9. Sandoval's control has been brutal this season, and he hasn't really paid for it yet.

We backed Steven Matz (LHP - STL) in his start in San Francisco last Wednesday night, but we ripped up that ticket as the Giants won that game 7-3. Matz did not factor into the decision, but he also had a short leash, pitching just four innings. We're not going to make excuses for the poor results Matz has posted with an 0-3 record, but we will state again for the record that he deserved a better fate this season. A very unlucky Batting Average on Balls in Play of .370, combined with the flashes that Matz has shown that he still has the goods at times this season (including 20 Ks in 16.1 innings in three combined starts versus the Braves, Pirates, and Mariners), presents us with an opportunity to back the underachieving 10-19 Cardinals at a nice price on the run line in a game that has a total of 9. Somebody is going to score some runs tonight, and we're betting it's the hometown Cards.

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Our Pick

St. Louis -1½ +153 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 3.06)

Baltimore -1½ +124 over L.A. Angels
San Francisco +100 over San Diego
Toronto +120 over Tampa Bay
Washington +135 over Cincinnati
San Diego under 83½ -105
Boston under 79½ -110