St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -120 odds (August 15th 2011)
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The Cardinals trail the Brewers by five games in the NL Central standings, making every game extremely important down the stretch. The Pirates actually led the division less than a month ago, but have lost 19 of 24 and now trail the Brewers by 13 games. I really believe the Pirates believed they had a chance to win the division, and their recent struggles have all but taken the life out of the players. That is why I like the Cardinals as a small favorite to come away with a relatively easy win on Monday.

St Louis will send Jake Westbrook to the mound, who has easily pitched his best baseball away from home. Westbrook is 6-2 with a 3.54 ERA in 12 road starts, compared to just 9-6 with a 4.74 ERA on the season.

The Cardinals are 7-1 in their last 8 games as a road favorite of -110 to -150, 8-2 in their last 10 games vs. a right-handed starter, and 7-3 in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a losing record. Pittsburgh is just 1-10 in their last 11 vs. National League Central.BET THE CARDINALS!