St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction for Tuesday September 1 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, September 1, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. First pitch is scheduled for 10:10 PM ET with ESPN Unlimited and MLB.TV providing coverage. St. Louis enters at 68-70 overall and 34-32 on the road, while Los Angeles is 82-55 overall and 40-26 at home. The Cardinals have lost two straight but lead the season series 2-1, while the Dodgers sit atop the NL West and are coming off a 6-1 victory. ESPN Analytics gives Los Angeles a 61.2% chance to win compared with 38.8% for St. Louis. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Check out our free MLB picks for more baseball predictions throughout the season.

Starting Pitchers

Michael McGreevy gets the start for St. Louis and enters at 5-9 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 142.1 innings. He has allowed 140 hits while striking out 98 and walking 38, with 20 home runs allowed. Los Angeles counters with Eric Lauer, who is 8-6 with a 4.78 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 105.1 innings. He has surrendered 99 hits with 70 strikeouts, 34 walks and 24 home runs. The Cardinals have the statistical starting-pitching advantage based on ERA, while the WHIP numbers are nearly identical. Los Angeles will need to overcome the less favorable starting matchup with its substantial advantages elsewhere.

Cardinals Need Their Pitching to Travel

St. Louis enters Tuesday at 68-70 overall and 34-32 away from home. The Cardinals are third in the NL Central and 17.5 games behind Milwaukee. They have gone 2-3 over their last five games, defeating Pittsburgh 4-1 and Baltimore 7-5 while losing 5-4 and 6-2 to Pittsburgh along with an 8-7 loss to Baltimore. St. Louis has dropped two straight entering the trip to Los Angeles.

The Cardinals are batting .240 with 610 runs, 1,115 hits and 143 home runs. They own a .315 on-base percentage and .381 slugging percentage. St. Louis has produced at least four runs in four of its last five games, but the season-long offensive numbers are clearly below those of Los Angeles. The Cardinals enter this matchup trailing the Dodgers in batting average, runs, hits, home runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

St. Louis has a 4.23 team ERA with a 1.34 WHIP and opponents are batting .253. The Cardinals have issued 464 walks while recording 1,085 strikeouts. Their scheduled starter gives them an opportunity to remain competitive early, but the overall pitching staff faces a difficult challenge against a Los Angeles offense that has produced 60 more runs and 26 more home runs this season.

Dodgers Own Major Statistical Advantages

Los Angeles enters at 82-55 overall and holds first place in the NL West with a 9.5-game advantage over Arizona. The Dodgers have been especially difficult to beat at Dodger Stadium, going 40-26 at home. They are only 2-3 over their last five games, but their most recent performance was impressive as they defeated Detroit 6-1. Their other victory during that stretch was a 2-1 decision, while all three losses came by one run.

The Dodgers are batting .258 with 670 runs, 1,189 hits and 169 home runs. Los Angeles also carries a .335 on-base percentage and .422 slugging percentage. Those numbers provide a clear offensive advantage over St. Louis, including an 18-point advantage in batting average, 20 points in on-base percentage and 41 points in slugging percentage. Los Angeles has also scored 60 more runs despite playing one fewer game.

Los Angeles has been substantially stronger on the mound as well, posting a 3.62 team ERA and 1.16 WHIP while limiting opponents to a .217 batting average. The Dodgers have struck out 1,249 batters against 425 walks. The only significant concern is the scheduled starting matchup, where Los Angeles sends out a starter with a 4.78 ERA and 24 home runs allowed. If the Dodgers can avoid early damage, their superior overall pitching numbers and powerful offense give them a strong path to controlling the later innings.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction

Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers Moneyline

The Los Angeles Dodgers Moneyline is the preferred side. St. Louis has the advantage in the starting-pitching matchup and already leads the season series 2-1, so the Cardinals should not be dismissed. However, virtually every team-level statistic favors Los Angeles. The Dodgers have the better offense, lower team ERA, lower WHIP, dramatically lower opponent batting average and a 40-26 home record. St. Louis has also dropped two consecutive games, while Los Angeles is coming off a convincing 6-1 victory. ESPN Analytics gives the Dodgers a 61.2% win probability, and the underlying numbers support Los Angeles despite the starting-pitching disadvantage. Take the Los Angeles Dodgers Moneyline.

Pick: Over 8.5

The Over 8.5 is the preferred total if the market opens around that number. St. Louis has scored at least four runs in four of its last five games, and Los Angeles owns the stronger offense with 670 runs, 169 home runs and a .422 slugging percentage. The Dodgers' scheduled starter enters with a 4.78 ERA and has surrendered 24 home runs over 105.1 innings, creating an opportunity for the Cardinals to contribute enough offensively. St. Louis also carries a 4.23 team ERA, giving the powerful Los Angeles offense a favorable overall matchup. Take the Over if the total is set at 8.5.

Final Picks: Los Angeles Dodgers Moneyline and Over 8.5

This preview was completed before play on Monday. Starting pitchers, betting lines and other game information are subject to change before the game begins.