Phillies, Cardinals National League Best Bets for August 24

There are multiple games beginning this evening on the National League schedule, and there’s value to target in these spots. Below, you can find our best NL bets on FanDuel Sportsbook.Cincinnati Reds (+205) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (-250) Total: 9 (O -120, U -102)

The Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds are set to play Game 2 of a three-game series tonight from Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies kicked things off yesterday with a 7-6 victory, and there’s potential to see another high-scoring affair. Post-trade deadline, things haven’t been as bad for the Reds as many people expected, but they’ve still have a 4-6 record over their past ten. Meanwhile, the Phillies have a 5-5 record over that same sample size. The Phillies currently hold the second Wild Card position in the National League, and they’ve been feasting on matchups against basement feeders. The value isn’t there to consider them on the moneyline, priced at -250, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t value against the lowly Reds. 

Pitching has been the root of the problem for the Reds this season, while the Phillies have done well on the mound. The visiting Reds will send righthander T.J. Zeuch to the mound, while the Phillies should counter with Cristopher Sanchez. Zeuch has been poor in his limited time with the Reds, owning a 0-2 record with a 13.50 ERA and five strikeouts, while Sanchez is 1-1 with a 3.80 ERA and 18 punchouts. Neither side inspires confidence, but the Phillies’ offense sticks out on this slate.

The Phillies should have no problem putting up runs, which is baked into tonight’s moneyline. However, turning our attention toward the run line makes a lot of sense. A good case can be made that the Phillies’ run line of -125 is worth a wager.

Best Bet: Phillies run line (-125)

The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play Game 4 of their five-game series tonight from Wrigley Field. The series started on Monday with a victory from the Cards, while the two rivals split a doubleheader yesterday. Entering action tonight, the Cardinals have a 9-1 record over their past ten games, while the Cubs are 6-4 over that same stretch. With their victory in the nightcap last night and the Milwaukee Brewers falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis now holds a solid 5.5-game lead atop the NL Central. Things won’t get easier for the Cubs in this matchup either, especially after the Cardinals broke out for 13 runs yesterday. The Cards will enter this contest as sizeable favorites on the moneyline, priced at -225, compared to the Cubs’ odds of +188. 

Pitching should again favor the Cardinals in this fourth matchup, especially considering the Cubs appear to be going with an opener and the bullpen. The visitors are expected to start All-Star Miles Mikolas, while the Cubs have righthander Luke Farrell projected to make his first big league start of the year. Mikolas owns a 10-9 record with a 3.32 ERA and 118 strikeouts, while Farrell has a minor league record of 3-4 with a 5.03 ERA and 49 strikeouts. Mikolas has pitched well against the Cubs in 2022 and has been one of the most consistent weapons in the Cardinals rotation.

With the Cardinals being such big favorites, it’s hard to find a value play in this matchup. With that, targeting the Cards on the run line is a solid play at -137 and warrants consideration.

Best Bet: Cardinals run line (-137)