Cardinals, Diamondbacks National League Best Bets for September 6

Multiple games are 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.Washington Nationals (+205) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (-250) Total: 7.5 (O -118, U -104)

The Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals are set to continue their four-game series tonight from Busch Stadium. The Nationals opened the series up yesterday with a convincing 6-0 victory and have been playing some solid baseball of late. Entering action today, the Nats own a 6-4 record over their past ten games and have won three straight, while the Cardinals are 7-3 over that same stretch. The Red Birds currently own a 7.5-game lead atop the NL Central and have continued to widen their gap over the Milwaukee Brewers for the top position. On paper, this series should be one that the Cardinals can take advantage of and continue to string together wins, even after losing the opening matchup yesterday. Pitching should favor the home side in the following three contests, and there’s a lot to like about the prospects of their prices. 

The visiting Nationals are expected to send righthander Paolo Espino to the bump, while the Cardinals will start trade deadline acquisition, Jose Quintana. The Nats righty currently owns a 0-6 record, paired with a 4.22 ERA and 75 strikeouts, while Quintana is 4-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 109 punchouts. Neither starting pitcher has much of any experience against the opposing ball club, which should give the advantage to the Cardinals with how both starters have pitched of late. Espino owned a 5.92 ERA in August, while the Cards lefty had a 3.38 ERA. 

It’s difficult seeing the Cardinals suffering consecutive losses to the Nationals in this second matchup, especially when they should have a sizable advantage on the bump. Offensively speaking, the team is red hot and even though they were held scoreless yesterday, tonight presents an excellent opportunity for them to bounce back, so targeting them on the run line makes sense at -120. 

Best Bet: Cardinals run line (-120)

The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres are set to face off for Game 2 of a three-game series tonight from Petco Park. The D-Backs opened the series with a convincing 5-0 victory last night, and they continue to get some impressive starting pitching from their rotation. Pitching has been a big bright spot for Arizona, with some concerns on offense. The visitors have been playing some great baseball and own an 8-2 record over their past ten games, while the Padres are 6-4 over that same stretch but have now lost three straight ball games. With their recent strong run of play, the D-Backs now sit with just a -8 run differential, while the Padres are currently at +30. 

Pitching should be the headline for this matchup, which is expected to feature two of these teams’ best pitchers facing off. The visiting Diamondbacks are expected to send righthander Merrill Kelly to the bump, while the Padres will be countering with Joe Musgrove. The D-Backs started has posted a 12-5 record, paired with a 2.84 ERA and 142 strikeouts, while Musgrove is 9-6, along with a 3.01 ERA and 149 strikeouts. Both arms have been consistent this year, reflected in tonight’s total set at seven. It’s interesting to note that the over is a sizable favorite at -124, meaning there’s some temptation to expect a higher-scoring matchup. Still, that doesn’t feel likely.

Kelly has done an excellent job of limiting the Padres hitters when they’ve collided in prior meetings, and that should bode well for him again, especially with how much consistency he brings to the table. It’s hard to fade the Diamondbacks with how well they’ve been playing, and the solid plus-money price tag at +140 on the moneyline makes it even more difficult in this contest. 

Best Bet: Diamondbacks moneyline (+140)