Friday, May 18th, 2012
Game 1 of the 2011 World Series is set for Wednesday night, and the Texas Rangers (103-69) and the St. Louis Cardinals (97-76) will play at 8:05 PM ET on FOX.
The first clash between the league champions will be played in St. Louis because of the National League’s victory in the mid-season All-Star Game, and the Cardinals are -119 betting favorites with a total of 7.5 runs.
Wagering on game 1 of the World Series has been about even on either team, although Texas does hold a 55% edge in preference amongst tracked MLB bettors.
These two squads haven’t met up since the 2004 season when the Cardinals went on the road to win 2 of 3 games during interleague play.
The only one of those games that St. Louis ended up losing was a 2-7 defeat with right-hander Chris Carpenter on the mound.
Carpenter (13-9, 1.25 WHIP, 3.47 ERA) is set to start game 1 against the Rangers, with Texas’ left-hander C.J. Wilson (16-9, 1.23 WHIP, 3.28 ERA) opposing him.
Wilson has given up 6 earned runs in 2 of his last 3 starts, while Carpenter has given up a total of just 8 over his last 6 starts.
Injuries don’t figure to keep out any key members of either team, but it is worth noting that Texas right fielder Nelson Cruz (oblique) and St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols (wrist) are listed as probable.
The Cardinals hit .260 against left-handed pitching this season, while Texas hits .278 against right-handers, but only .268 against them when on the road.
The Cardinals opened up as -130 favorites but have been bet down just a tick in the days leading up to the start of the 2011 World Series.
Texas is 47-39 on the road this year, while St. Louis has amassed a 48-38 record as the home team.
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