At the onset, the St. Louis Cardinals are the baseball betting favorite to win the National League Central Division. And with plenty of good reason. St. Louis had one of the best offseason performances of any team in baseball. Further, National League Central rivals such as the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds cut payroll. Correlate, they seemed to be waving a white flag instead of a pennant. With such players as Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Jack Flaherty, the Redbirds look like the team to beat in their division. In fact, they could have enough to win it all.
2021 St. Louis Cardinals Team Odds Preview
| Odds to Win 2021 National League Pennant: | +1300 |
|---|---|
| Odds to Win 2021 World Series: | +2000 |
| Odds to Win 2021 National League Central Division: | +105 |
| 2021 Over/Under Win Total: | 86.5 |
| 2020 Record: | 30-28 +$132, 24-29-5 OU |
2021 St. Louis Cardinals SBG Odds Overview
Naturally, the Cardinals are one of the great name brands in sports betting. St. Louis has a generational fan base. And a reputation of excellence dating back several decades. Fashion how the Redbirds improved while the Reds and Cubs didn’t in the offseason. Milwaukee was already a sub.500 team from last season. Thus, a clear path to the NL Playoffs appears for St. Louis. Pitching is always crucial to a Cardinals’ run. When they have it, they’re in the mix. Overall, the Redbirds have the best staff in the NL Central. St. Louis is just two years removed from the NLCS.
2021 St. Louis Cardinals Team Preview
In sum, the 2020 St. Louis Cardinals finished 30-28 and 24-29-5 under the total. Second place with the Cincinnati Reds was their standing. Following the first-place Chicago Cubs. In the postseason, the Redbirds lost a three-game wild card series to the San Diego Padres. MLB metrics had the Cards 24th for run production, 26th for OPS, 30th for home runs, 27th for stolen bases, 9th for earned run average, 8th for WHIP, 11th for quality starts, 10th for the bullpen, and 12th for fewest errors committed.
Manager Mike Shildt has spent his entire baseball career in the Cardinals organization. Following a scouting start, he worked his way up to manager midway through the 2018 season. And he has proven to be a perfect fit. Shildt has produced back-to-back playoffs campaigns in his two full seasons at the helm.
Nolan Arenado was acquired from the Colorado Rockies to set off dreams of a World Series in the Gateway City. Arenado was a franchise third baseman for the Rockies. And he brings a hefty contract along with an element of risk. Arenado is coming off an injury-plagued 2020 campaign. But the Cardinals are betting that he comes back stronger than ever. When right, Arenado is one of the game’s genuinely dominant players. Consider his eight gold gloves and four silver slugger awards. He is projected for 32 home runs. Arenado’s arrival is the ultimate proof St. Louis is all-in for 2021.
Catcher Yadier Molina is a franchise stalwart and nine-time NL All-Star. Cardinal pitchers will draw on his experience and expertise at calling games. Accordingly, Molina is one of the elite baseball betting assets for his overall ability.
In particular, the World Series is an annual rite of expectation in St. Louis. Increasingly that Fall Classic is a distinct possibility for the Redbirds!