by Rod Pearson
Monday, Aug 31, 2026
Game Time: 10:10 pm ET, Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: ESPN Unlimited, MLB TV
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Cardinals +153, Dodgers -186; Over/Under: 9 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Cardinals +150, Dodgers -180; Over/Under: 9 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Cardinals +150, Dodgers -185; Over/Under: 9 runs
Season Record
St Louis Cardinals: 68-70 (3rd place, NL Central)
Los Angeles Dodgers: 82-55 (1st place, NL West)
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Recent Form
St Louis Cardinals: 3-7 last 10
Los Angeles Dodgers: 6-4 last 10
St Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Dodgers Preview and Analysis
The Cardinals are entering this series off a loss and lost their 3-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 68-70 record overall and have a road record of 34-32. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Dodgers on Tuesday and they have Monday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 25th in the MLB with a .696 OPS. Matthew Liberatore was their starting pitcher on Sunday while Michael McGreevy is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 5-9 with a 3.86 ERA this season. His team won 4 of their last 5 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 7 ER, 2 HR, and 2 BB with 3 SO on 10 hits through 5 IP against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Dodgers are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Detroit Tigers 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with an 82-55 record overall and have a home record of 40-26. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Cardinals on Tuesday and they have Monday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 2nd in the MLB with a .757 OPS. Tyler Glasnow was their starting pitcher on Sunday while Eric Lauer is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 8-6 with a 4.78 ERA this season. His team won 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 earned run, 1 homer, and 2 walks with 1 strikeout on 2 hits through 2 innings pitched against the Atlanta Braves.
Cardinals vs Dodgers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Dodgers listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Dodgers have looked great in their games this season with their 82-55 record overall which has them right at the top of the NL West. They have looked great in their own ballpark too with their 40-26 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Cardinals haven't looked great in their games this season with their 68-70 record overall which has them right in the middle of the NL West. They have been a good road team though with their 34-32 road record this year. The Cardinals haven't looked that good lately though, now 3-7 in their last 10 games, and they have fallen right out of the NL Wild Card race. The Dodgers have been getting hot though, now 6-4 in their last 10 games, and this is a pitching matchup that they can take advantage of. The Cardinals are going with McGreevy in this one and he hasn't looked bad this season. He is 5-9 with a 3.86 ERA, but the team has had a lot of trouble with him all season. They have looked better lately, winning 4 of their last 5 games with him starting, but that hasn't been a common theme this season and he did give up 7 earned runs in his last start. The Dodgers are going with Lauer in this one and he hasn't looked great this year. He is 8-6 with a 4.78 ERA, but he has looked a lot better since getting traded from the Blue Jays and the Dodgers have had a ton of success with him too. He is coming off another good start giving up 1 earned run and the team has won 2 of their last 3 games with him starting which has been a common theme for them. All signs point to the Dodgers in this one with the Cardinals starting to fall off now. The best way to place a bet here is on the Dodgers to win this game.
Cardinals Dodgers Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (10:10 pm ET start time) is Dodgers 5 Cardinals 3.
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MLB Betting Trends
St Louis Cardinals: 122-129 (+25.6 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 or higher. 72-60 (+13.5 units) on the moneyline against left-handed starters. 60-57 (+17.4 units) on the moneyline when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%). 13-6 UNDER against NL West opponents.
Los Angeles Dodgers: 47-45 (-21.7 units) on the moneyline against NL Central opponents. 297-197 (-23.2 units) on the moneyline in all games. 156-89 (-16.6 units) on the moneyline in home games. 32-19 UNDER as a favorite of -125 to -175.
Key Injuries
St Louis Cardinals: J. Wetherholt (2B) Ten Day IL - Wrist. B. Jordan (3B) Ten Day IL - Ankle. P. Strzelecki (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Forearm. M. Winn (SS) Ten Day IL - Thumb. E. Pereira (RF) Ten Day IL - Hand. H. Dobbins (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Forearm. A. Pallante (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. M. Rajcic (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.
Los Angeles Dodgers: R. Sasaki (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Finger. A. Pages (CF) Ten Day IL - Hand. E. Diaz (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Neck. J. Wrobleski (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Forearm. B. Treinen (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. D. Rushing (C) Ten Day IL - Arm. W. Klein (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. W. Smith (C) Sixty Day IL - Neck. K. Bubic (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. B. Graterol (RP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. B. Casparius (RP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. J. Cousins (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. G. Stone (SP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder. B. Miller (SP) Sixty Day IL - Shoulder.
Notable Quotes
“We agreed to, if it wasn’t going to continue to improve, then we would hit the pause button. We got to the point yesterday where it just didn’t feel good. So, we’ll give it the appropriate rest and then move forward from there.” - Oliver Marmol on the injury to JJ Wetherholt.
"It was good to see Teo break out today. I know he’s been wanting it. Just the at-bats, the walks, controlling the strike zone, throwing out some hits, building some innings -- it was really good to see." - Dave Roberts after his team’s win against the Tigers in their game on Sunday.
Starting Lineups
St Louis Cardinals
Bryan Torres (L) LF
Iván Herrera (R) C
Alec Burleson (L) 1B
Jordan Walker (R) RF
Nolan Gorman (L) DH
José Fermín (R) 2B
Nathan Church (L) CF
Ramón Urías (R) 3B
Thomas Saggese (R) SS
Los Angeles Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
Tommy Edman (S) 2B
Mookie Betts (R) SS
Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
Teoscar Hernández (R) LF
Miguel Rojas (R) 3B
Kyle Tucker (L) RF
Enrique Hernández (R) CF
Ben Rortvedt (L) C
Statistical Leaders
St Louis Cardinals
Batting Average: Alec Burleson (.288)
Hits: Alec Burleson (150)
Home Runs: Jordan Walker (27)
RBI: Alec Burleson (100)
Stolen Bases: Jordan Walker (18)
Wins: Andre Pallante (12)
Saves: Riley O'Brien (34)
ERA: Cade Winquest (0.00)
Los Angeles Dodgers
Batting Average: Freddie Freeman (.304)
Hits: Freddie Freeman (153)
Home Runs: Shohei Ohtani (30)
RBI: Andy Pages (80)
Stolen Bases: Andy Pages (12)
Wins: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12)
Saves: Tanner Scott (20)
ERA: Seth Halvorsen (0.00)
Managers:
St Louis Cardinals: Oliver Marmol (5th season)
Los Angeles Dodgers: Dave Roberts (11th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
