The Padres (76-79, 43-37 home) host the Cardinals (68-87, 35-42 away) in game three of this National League series. Getting the start for the Padres is Michael Wacha while the Cardinals are turning to Drew Rom. Read on to get my best bet for this San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals matchup.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS VS SAN DIEGO PADRES BETTING PICK

The Pick: St. Louis Cardinals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at PETCO Park at 4:10 ET on Sunday, September 24th.

WHY BET THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS:

  • The Cardinals will be taking on a Padres club that is just 1-2 vs. the runline in their last three games.
  • Over their last five games on the road, St. Louis is 3-2 against the runline.
  • The Cardinals have gone 1-2 in Michael Wacha’s last five starts.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

St. Louis enters today’s matchup with an overall record of 68-87, placing them 5th in the NL Central. The club has played in 49 series so far, and has a record of 19-25-5, including dropping each of their past two sets. The Cardinals are 33-45 at home and 35-42 and 33-45 at home.

Drew Rom will take the mound for the Cardinals with a 1-3 record. He has made six appearances in 2023, with an ERA of 6.92 and a K/9 of 7.27. His FIP is 5.88 and opponents have a .372 OBP against him.

Drew Rom was handed the defeat after giving up five runs on six hits in his last start against the Brewers. The Cardinals were unable to come away with a victory, losing 7-3.

Over their last five games, the Cardinals are ranked 18th in the league in scoring at 2.4 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4.5 per contest puts them 17th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, St. Louis is 8th, with an OBP currently sitting at .326. The team’s collective batting average is .250 (10th).

Paul Goldschmidt has been a major contributor to the Cardinals’ offensive success this season, as evidenced by his 1 home run over the last ten games and 25 long balls for the year. The slugger is also batting .270 on the season.

WILL THE SAN DIEGO PADRES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Padres enter today’s game with an overall record of 76-79, including putting together an above .500 mark at home (43-37). This year, San Diego has played in 50 series and have gone 21-24-5. Currently, they are 4th in the NL West.

Michael Wacha enters the game with a 12-4 record and 3.44 ERA. On the road, he has a 5.34 ERA and 3-1 record in nine appearances, while at home he has posted a 9-3 mark and 3.03 ERA. His season WHIP stands at 1.21, with opponents batting .227 against him and slugging .388.

Michael Wacha last pitched against the Rockies, allowing three runs on five hits yet still earning the win in San Diego’s 11-9 victory.

Across their last ten games, the Padres’ offense is 8th in batting average, leading to an average of 5.3 runs per contest in that span. Overall, they are the 12th ranked scoring offense and posted a season-long OPS of .743 on 200 (13th).

The Padres’ offensive leader, Xander Bogaerts, has been a consistent force at the plate this season. Boasting a .281 batting average, he has also compiled a .437 slugging percentage and an impressive .349 on-base percentage.