Baseball odds makers are curiously gathering information and statistical research on the St Louis Cardinals. This is a team that is just a few years removed from the World Series and has the potential to make a big impact on the baseball betting odds scene in 2009. If it can stay healthy that is; the 2008 baseball lines season was caught up in injuries and the Red Birds can’t afford a repeat of their poor health report in the upcoming season.
Baseball lines experts like the Cardinals on paper, so long as they’re healthy. And of course the main factor at in the team’s offensive success in the baseball betting odds is Albert Pujols. This man is a beast; one of the top three players in the baseball betting odds and last year the first time in many years that Pujols played a full season and the team failed to make the post season baseball lines competition. Pujols put up monster numbers last year (.357, 37 HRs, 116 RBIs, 100 Runs) to win his second MVP. But that performance wasn’t enough to overcome shortcomings in the rest of the baseball lines lineup, injuries and problems on the mound.
Ryan Ludwick was a revelation last year for many baseball odds fans as he belted 37 HRs and batted .299. He’s the perfect protection in the lineup for Pujols, but he’s likely to have a bit of a downturn after opposing baseball lines pitchers have a year’s worth of tape on him. The top of the lineup seems up for grabs and 3B Troy Glaus is still out with injuries making the opening day baseball odds batting lineup somewhat of a mystery. But the Cards have plenty of good hitters on the roster and the real baseball lines concern for this team is likely the pitching.
The Cards lost a slew of arms in the off-season and their starting rotation is this biggest weakness heading into the 2009 baseball betting lines season. Gone are the some of the aging and familiar faces and in their places are young and unproven baseball lines starters. But this younger crop of talent has plenty of upside. Number one starter Adam Wainwright was very impressive last year in the baseball betting odds competition posting an 11-3 record with a 3.20 ERA. Kyle Lohse and Todd Wellemeyer each also won more than 13 games, giving the Cards a solid group at the top of their baseball odds rotation. Throw Chris Carpenter into that mix when he recovers from injury and the Cards rotation could become one of the better units in the NL baseball lines.
The Cubs seem to have a lock on the NL Central. But the Cards, on paper, look to be a wild card caliber team.
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