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MLB Playoff Betting – St. Louis vs. Philadelphia NLDS Preview & Pick

Shea weighs in with his MLB playoffs Free Pick for Saturday. It’s the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies matching up at Citizens Bank Park…

MLB Betting – Cardinals vs Phillies Game 1 NLDS Preview & Pick

Everything about Game 1 of the Cardinals-Phillies National League Division Series screams David versus Goliath, doesn’t it?

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Date: Saturday, October 1, 2011
Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Broadcast: TBS
Game 1: St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies Betting Lines from 5Dimes.com
Money Line: Cardinals +200, Phillies =220
Over/Under: 6.5

St. Louis Cardinals (90-72; series tied 0-0)
Kyle Lohse (Regular season: 14-8, 3.39)

Because Chris Carpenter had to pitch St. Louis into the playoffs this week, he isn’t ready to start Game 1, meaning St. Louis must turn to Kyle Lohse opposite Roy Halladay.

Lohse, a product of masterful pitching coach Dave Duncan, was an unsung hero down the stretch for St. Louis, losing just once in his final 11 starts and allowing no homers in his last five outings.

One of the few teams to consistently touch ’em all against Lohse is the Phillies. They’ve taken him deep seven times over 60.1 innings during his career. Two of those long balls belong to Ryan Howard, a.k.a. the certified Kyle Lohse killer. Howard is 8 for 16 (.500) with two homers and eight RBI against him in his career.

Philadelphia Phillies (102-60; series tied 0-0)
Roy Halladay (Regular season: 19-6, 2.35)

Trotting Roy Halladay out to the hill to start a series must feel great. Last year, all he did was throw a no-hitter in his first career playoff start. What will his encore be against St. Louis? [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

As usual, Doc’s numbers look phenomenal no matter how you split them up. He’s 8-3 with a 2.48 ERA at home. He’s 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA against the Cardinals in his career. He’s 18-6 with a 2.32 ERA on grass this season. It’s hard to find something wrong.

Optimistic Cardinals fans can only hope Halladay’s start against the St. Louis on September 19 was a sign of things to come. He had a rare off day, allowing four runs in eight innings, walking four and taking his first career loss to the Cards.

The pick:

One my primary rules in baseball betting: unless he’s facing the Milwaukee Brewers or Cody Ross, never, ever bet against Roy Halladay. You’ll win 80 per cent the time. Lohse has pitched admirably for St. Louis this season, and he may keep the Phillies in check, but Doc should be even better. One mighty swing from Howard may be all the run support Halladay needs on Saturday.

Cardinals vs Phillies prediction: Phillies 4, Cardinals 2

Money Line: Phillies -220
Over/Under: UNDER 6.5

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By Shea Matthews

Shea Matthews the Senior Writer at CP. Lives and breathes sports. He made the transition from athlete to sports journalist at a young age, writing in TV & national papers. Shea applies his knowledge to sports betting + handicapping daily, and shares winning picks with the world.