The Los Angeles Dodgers spent $325 million to sign former KBO ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto a 12-year contract.
Tonight, the Dodgers faithful will see their luxury acquisition make his debut at Dodger Stadium as a heavy MLB odds favorite when they host the St. Louis Cardinals for the third of a scheduled four-game series.
Can the Cardinals pull off the upset? Join me as I break this one down and share free MLB picks for tonight’s Cardinals vs. Dodgers matchup on Saturday, March 30.
Cardinals vs Dodgers odds
Cardinals vs Dodgers predictions
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn is coming off a strange season.
He struggled with the White Sox but was acquired mid-season by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The veteran hurler went 7-2 for the Big Blue down the stretch, had a tough postseason, but was signed this offseason by the organization where he began his MLB career.
Lynn’s struggles have continued through the spring and he has a daunting matchup ahead of him against a stacked 1-9 Dodgers lineup, including 2020 NL MVP and seven-time All-Star Freddie Freeman.
Freeman raked in 2023; the Dodgers first baseman hit .333 with 29 bombs and 102 RBI in a deep lineup, and he especially smashed righties just like Lynn.
The Los Angeles slugger has picked up right where he left off last season; he’s batting .231 with one bomb and three RBI, and tonight, Freeman has a nice matchup he can exploit to add to his RBI total.
Lynn has dominated Freeman, but the veteran righty has struggled throughout his career against left-handed hitters. Lefties boasted a .384 wOBA and .549 slugging percentage last season, and because of Lynn’s rough history against Dodgers sluggers Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, Freeman should see some good pitches tonight.
Ohtani has lit up the Cardinals' righthander for three bombs and 10 hits over 23 at-bats, and Betts has also had past success. Lynn will likely be careful with the pair, and Freeman should get some good looks with men on base, offering the All-Star slugger an excellent opportunity to bring someone home.
My best bet: Freddie Freeman Over 0.5 RBI (+150 at DraftKings)
Cardinals vs Dodgers same-game parlay
Freddie Freeman 1+ RBI
Mookie Betts Over 0.5 hits
Yoshinobu Yamamoto 4+ strikeouts
Mookie Betts is rolling. He’s riding a four-game hitting streak and has a good history against the Cardinals. He also has five hits with a bomb over 19 at-bats against the Cardinals starter.
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a strikeout whiz coming off a horrible MLB debut. He lasted one frame against San Diego but did whiff two hitters and has a great opportunity tonight.
He struck out 14 in 9 1/3 innings this spring and with the Cards struggling out of the gate against righties, the Japanese star is in a good spot to bounce back at home.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Cardinals vs Dodgers moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- The Dodgers opened as a -200 favorite; money is still pouring in on Los Angeles and the Dodgers are a consensus -225 favorite.
- The total opened as low as 8.5 runs, but that was quickly bet up to a consensus number of 9.5 runs.
- The Cardinals are 0-4 in their last four games as an underdog and lost both games of this series at +225 (Thursday) and +194 (Friday).
- The Under is 5-1-1 in the Dodgers' last seven vs. the NL Central.
Trend to know
The Dodgers have scored 5+ runs in their last seven games against the Cardinals. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Dodgers
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Cardinals vs Dodgers game info
| Location: | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Saturday, March 30, 2024 |
| First pitch: | 9:10 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports Midwest, SportsNet Los Angeles |
Starting pitchers
Lance Lynn (0-0, 0.00 ERA): Lynn pitched horribly to begin the 2023 season but rebounded after the Dodgers acquired the struggling veteran righty from the Chicago White Sox at the deadline. Lynn went 7-2 down the stretch for the Dodgers but has struggled again this spring.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (0-1, 45.00 ERA): The Dodgers' $320 million offseason acquisition continued a rough spring in his MLB debut. He managed just an inning in his first career start but struck out a pair of Padres, surrendering five first-inning runs on four hits with a free pass.
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