Cardinals-Braves prediction: Picks, odds on Wednesday, September 6

All season long, the Atlanta Braves (90-47) have slugged home run after home run to beat their opponent. On Tuesday, they got a taste of their own medicine, as the St. Louis Cardinals (60-78) launched four homers to pick up an upset win in the series opener in Atlanta. St. Louis look to make it two in a row on Wednesday when they send Dakota Hudson (5-1, 4.02 ERA) to the mound against Braves ace Spencer Strider (16-4, 3.56). First pitch from Truist Park is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET.

The Braves are -310 moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Cardinals are +250 underdogs. The run total is set at 9.

Cardinals-Braves picks: Wednesday, September 6

Injury report

Cardinals

Out: RP JoJo Romero (left knee tendinitis), OF Dylan Carlson (ankle soreness, oblique strain)

Braves

Day-to-day: SP Michael Soroka (right finger numbness)
Out: RHP Daysbel Hernandez (right forearm inflammation), SP Yonny Chirinos (right elbow inflammation), OF Ehire Adrianza (left shoulder strain)

Starting pitchers

Dakota Hudson vs. Spencer Strider

Hudson enters tonight’s start on the back of his best outing of the year, as he allowed one run on three hits over seven innings against the Pirates. The 28-year-old has spent the last month as a full-blown starter after stretching himself out in July, and has gone at least five innings in each of his last six starts.

While Strider’s having a down year for his standards, he’s still a Cy Young candidate in a very weird NL race. He leads all of baseball in wins (16), strikeouts (245), FIP (2.81) and strikeouts per nine innings (13.8), but has an ERA above 3.50 and has given up 19 home runs. Strider has a 1.67 ERA in his last four starts after giving up six runs in 2.2 innings against the Pirates on Aug. 7.

Over/Under pick

While Strider is an NL Cy Young candidate, he’s not the shutout machine that he was last year, which has me leaning towards this over. The Braves offense is one of the best in recent baseball history and should get plenty of good cuts in against Hudson, and I think the Cardinals’ offense will get a couple off Strider as well.

Pick: Over 9

Moneyline pick

Not overthinking this one. While the Cardinals won yesterday, the Braves have won 90 games this season for a reason.