MLB Dodgers at Cardinals: Odds & Expert Tips

National League contenders square off on Saturday’s Baseball Night in America on FOX when the St. Louis Cardinals host the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers. LA is the favorite in MLB odds to win a third straight World Series and they have won 20 of their first 30 games.

The Cards have held their own in what’s so far been the toughest division in baseball. Every team enters the weekend above .500 with the Cards in the middle of the pack at 16-13 following consecutive wins over division rival Pittsburgh.

Dodgers at Cardinals Game Preview

The middle game of a 3-game set between the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled to be played on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. First pitch is slated for 7:15 p.m. ET with television coverage provided by FOX.

• Despite being held to one run and seven hits in a 2-1 loss to Miami on Tuesday that snapped a 3-game winning streak, the Dodgers still boast one of the top offenses in MLB. They lead the majors in batting average and OPS and are second in runs per game and home runs.
• The Dodgers will continue for another week or so without the services of Mookie Betts, who hasn’t played since April 4. Hyeseong Kim was recalled from the minors to take the spot of Betts and according to Dave Roberts has been a spark plug. Kim is hitting .294 and playing excellent defense.
• It’s been a roller coaster season so far for the Cards. They followed a 3-game winning streak in early April with 3 straight losses. They then rattled off five consecutive wins before losing five of their next six games. They have won two in a row following Tuesday’s 11-7 triumph in Pittsburgh.
• Overall the Cardinals are 16-13 through their first 29 games but they are the only club in the NL Central with a negative run differential at minus-9. It’s also the second worst among teams with a winning record in the NL.
• St. Louis has seemingly always been strong at home. Last year when they finished six games under .500 they managed to win more than 54 percent of their games at Busch. It’s been a different story so far this season. After getting swept by the Mariners last weekend, the Cards fell to 7-8 at home.
• Michael McGreevy has been the ace of the Cardinals staff with a 2.97 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 33.1 innings of his six starts. He’s pitched into the sixth inning four times but has only one victory. The Cards lost his last two starts and the UNDER on the MLB betting line cashed in four of his last five starts.

Dodgers at Cardinals Predictions

• The Dodgers saw enough from Sasaki in his last start that they’ll likely give him more chances before Blake Snell returns from the IL. The numbers haven’t been good, but a new splitter debuted last week and Sasaki worked into the sixth inning for the first time. The pitch was successful enough to give Sasaki and coaches something to build on.
• It would’ve been hard for the Dodgers to maintain their early season pace, but they have struggled of late with Wednesday’s loss to Miami dropping them to 5-7 in their last 12 games. And they have just three wins in their last eight road games.

Dodgers at Cardinals Betting Tips

• LA has been a good bet on the UNDER in recent road games. They’ve played below the closing total in seven of their last nine away games heading into St. Louis.
• Sasaki has benefitted from LA’s offense in his last four starts getting an average of 7 runs in those games. He’s needed it since he surrendered seven home runs in those games.
• St. Louis is 2-6 in its last eight home games, allowing an average of 6.25 runs in that span and cashing the OVER five times.

Dodgers at Cardinals Head to Head and Key Stats

• The Cards won the season series last year 4-2 holding LA to just six runs in their wins.
• The teams played UNDER the closing total in six of their last eight meetings.
• In 36 career at-bats at Busch Stadium, Shohei Ohtani has four extra-base hits and three RBIs while striking out seven times.