Dodgers vs Cardinals Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for May 18 (Nolan Arenado Stays Hot)

The Los Angeles Dodgers (28-16) will aim to start their next series off with a win when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals (18-26) in the first matchup of their four-game series on Thursday, May 18.

Dodgers vs Cardinals Game Info

• Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023
• Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
• Venue: Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO
• Coverage: Spectrum SportsNet

These two teams met for one series earlier this season in Los Angeles back at the end of April. The home team came away with a sweep in that one. The Dodgers have gotten off to a hot start this season, while the Cardinals have underperformed. Can St. Louis start to turn things around at home against one of baseball's best teams?

Dodgers vs Cardinals Odds & Spread

• All MLB betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: LAD: (-154) | STL: (+130)
• Spread: LAD: -1.5 (+102) | STL: +1.5 (-122)
• Total: 9 -- Over: (-118) | Under: (-104)

The Dodgers enter this contest as road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7:45 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 9 runs with the over favored at -118 odds.

Dodgers vs Cardinals Betting Trends

• The Dodgers are 7-1 straight up in their last eight games.
• The Dodgers are 5-0 in their last five games against St. Louis.
• St. Louis is 5-1 straight up in its last six games.
• The total has hit the over in 10 of St. Louis' last 13 home games.

Dodgers vs Cardinals Prediction & Pick

The pitching matchup favors the Dodgers big time in this one. Los Angeles is sending star pitcher Julio Urias to the mound, while St. Louis is starting veteran Adam Wainwright. Urias is actually pitching to a 3.61 ERA, which is a big jump from last season when he put up a 2.16 ERA.

Wainwright's struggles have continued into what he says will be his final season, as his ERA is already up to 7.20 this year. After a long, productive career, Father Time seems to finally be catching up to the 41-year-old.

I'm going with Los Angeles based on the starting pitching matchup. Wainwright hasn't pitched against the Dodgers this season but did have two starts against them last season, pitching to a 4.32 ERA.

Final Score Prediction: Dodgers: 6 | Cardinals: 3

Dodgers vs Cardinals Best Bet

After getting off to a slow start this season, specifically in the power department, Cardinals superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado has been on a tear as of late. He has 5 home runs in his last six games and has been the main catalyst in a St. Louis offense that has blown up over the last week en route to five wins in their last six games.

Bank on Arenado getting back on the home run train tonight, even if Urias has a solid outing.

Bet: Nolan Arenado to Hit a Home Run (+390)

David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.