Los Angeles Dodgers vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Friday May 1 2026

By: Kim Smith Published 05/01/2026, 12:25 AM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday, May 1, 2026, with first pitch scheduled for 8:15 PM and coverage available on MLB.TV. Los Angeles enters at 20-11 overall and 8-5 on the road, while St. Louis comes in at 18-13 overall and 7-8 at home. The Dodgers are listed at -186 on the moneyline, while the Cardinals are at +153. The total is set at 8.5 runs, with Los Angeles -1.5 on the run line at -110 and St. Louis +1.5 at -110. Get in with all the baseball action with our Free MLB picks.

Starting Pitchers

The Dodgers are expected to start Emmet Sheehan, who enters with a 2-0 record, a 4.78 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and 26.1 innings pitched. Sheehan has allowed 24 hits while recording 28 strikeouts, nine walks, and four home runs. The Cardinals are expected to counter with Matthew Liberatore, who is 0-1 with a 4.75 ERA, a 1.55 WHIP, and 30.1 innings pitched. Liberatore has allowed 36 hits with 19 strikeouts, 11 walks, and eight home runs.

Los Angeles Brings a Strong Profile on the Road

The Los Angeles Dodgers enter this matchup with a 20-11 overall record and an 8-5 mark away from home. Over their last five games, Los Angeles has recently lost to Miami 3-2, recently lost to Miami 2-1, recently won over Miami 5-4, recently won over Chicago 6-0, and recently won over Chicago 12-4. The Dodgers have dropped their last two, but they still come into this matchup with a winning record and solid road results.

Los Angeles is batting .273 as a team with 167 runs, 286 hits, 45 home runs, a .350 on-base percentage, and a .452 slugging percentage. On the pitching side, the Dodgers own a 3.19 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. They have issued 97 walks, recorded 277 strikeouts, and opponents are batting just .210 against them. Los Angeles is also 6-4 in day games based on the provided numbers.

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One key strength for the Dodgers is the combination of offense and run prevention. Their .273 batting average, .350 on-base percentage, and .452 slugging percentage are all strong compared with St. Louis, while their 3.19 ERA and 1.12 WHIP give them a clear pitching edge. That balance makes Los Angeles difficult to fade even after back-to-back losses.

St. Louis Tries to Keep Its Winning Surge Going

The St. Louis Cardinals come into this game with an 18-13 overall record and a 7-8 mark at home. Over their last five games, St. Louis has recently won over Pittsburgh 10-5, recently won over Pittsburgh 5-4, recently won over Pittsburgh 11-7, recently won over Pittsburgh 4-2, and recently lost to Seattle 3-2. The Cardinals have built momentum with four straight wins entering this matchup.

St. Louis is hitting .235 as a team with 145 runs, 236 hits, 39 home runs, a .324 on-base percentage, and a .397 slugging percentage. The Cardinals’ pitching staff has a 4.75 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. They have issued 112 walks, recorded 209 strikeouts, and opponents are batting .263 against them. St. Louis is also 7-7 in day games based on the provided data.

A key strength for St. Louis is recent offensive production. The Cardinals have scored 10, 5, 11, and 4 runs across their four recent wins, showing they can create enough offense to stay competitive. The concern is the pitching profile, as the team ERA and WHIP sit well above the Dodgers’ numbers.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction

Los Angeles Dodgers vs St. Louis Cardinals Pick

Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5

Los Angeles is the pick on the run line at -110. The Dodgers have the stronger overall record, the better road mark compared with the Cardinals’ home record, and clear team-stat advantages in batting average, runs, hits, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, and opponent batting average. St. Louis enters with momentum after recently winning four straight, but the Dodgers’ overall profile is stronger on both sides. With Los Angeles priced heavily on the moneyline, the run line offers the better angle.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs St. Louis Cardinals Total Pick

Pick: Over 8.5

I lean over 8.5 runs in this matchup. The Dodgers have scored 167 runs with 45 home runs and a .452 slugging percentage, while the Cardinals have scored 145 runs with 39 home runs. Both starting pitchers enter with ERAs in the upper 4.00 range, and St. Louis has been scoring well during its recent winning streak. With Los Angeles carrying the stronger offense and St. Louis showing recent run production, I expect enough scoring to push this game over the posted total.

Final Score Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers 6 – St. Louis Cardinals 4