Doubleheader Information
St. Louis Cardinals (23-19) at Philadelphia Phillies (24-17)
Game 1: 12:05pm CT Wednesday
How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Probable pitchers: Erick Fedde (3-3, 3.86 ERA) vs Jesús Luzardo (3-0, 2.11 ERA)
DraftKings moneyline: Phillies -175, Cardinals +145
DraftKings total: 8.5 (over -110, under -110)
Game 2: 5:15pm CT Wednesday
How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Probable pitchers: Sonny Gray (4-1, 3.50 ERA) vs Aaron Nola (1-6, 4.89 ERA)
DraftKings moneyline: Phillies -135, Cardinals +114
DraftKings total: 8 (over -112, under -108)
Let’s Play Two… Again
The St. Louis Cardinals will play their fourth doubleheader of the season when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies in a pair of games on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. Tuesday’s game was rained out after the Redbirds took the series opener 3-2 on Monday for their ninth straight win.
The Cards are 4-2 in their six doubleheader games this season, including sweeps over the Reds and Mets while losing a twin bill to the Red Sox. Of those six games, three went over the total, two went under, and there was one push.
Game 1 Preview
Erick Fedde will get the nod for the Cardinals in Game 1. The right-hander is coming off the best start of his career with a complete game shutout against his former team the Nationals. Besides the shutout performance, it was encouraging to see Fedde compile 8 strikeouts without walking a batter. Heading into that game, he had a 21-to-21 strikeout to walk ratio for the season.
Tuesday’s originally scheduled starter Jesús Luzardo will be on the mound for the Phillies in the opener. The left-hander has a 2.11 ERA and has allowed 2 runs or less in seven of his eight starts - and he gave up only 3 runs in the other one.
Game 2 Preview
Sonny Gray will pitch the nightcap for the Redbirds after having his start washed out on Tuesday. The right-hander is coming off his best start of the season with 7 shutout innings against the Pirates while allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk with 8 strikeouts. The Cards are 6-2 in Gray starts this season.
The Phillies give the ball to Aaron Nola in Game 2. The Cards beat Nola back on April 11th, as they grinded out at-bats and forced him to throw 93 pitches in 5 innings. Nola only gave up 2 runs, but he struggled with 5 hits allowed and 4 walks.
My Leans
It’s not sexy for a gambling column, but I think it’s important to be honest and transparent with you the reader. I personally do not like betting doubleheaders. There is just too much unknown with odd lineups and unpredictable bullpen usage.
But if you’re looking for some action, I think it’s more likely than not you turn a profit if you bet the Cardinals to win both games. This team is on a special run right now with nine straight wins, and as the plus money underdog in both games, the Cards only have to win once in order for you to have a profitable day.
As a Cardinals fan, I’d gladly take a split of this doubleheader. But I wouldn’t put it past this team right now to sweep the Phillies and take an 11-game winning streak to Kansas City.
Lean for Game 1: Cardinals on the moneyline at +145 on DraftKings
Lean for Game 2: Cardinals on the moneyline at +114 on DraftKings
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Friday on the Sports Hub STL YouTube channel. Follow him on X @GamblingDads, and click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams. Picks = betting the game - minus odds betting to win 1 unit, plus odds risking 1 unit. Leans = no strong opinion, not betting the game. Disclaimer