MLB Betting - Saturday Baseball Picks

NFL betting is the last thing on St. Louis fans' minds—wouldn't you block out the memory of the Rams if you were them? -- but they have a good baseball team to watch right now. Their Cardinals host the resurgent Houston Astros in a crucial NL Central matchup this weekend. Who will win Saturday's game—not to mention the pitcher's duel between Philly and San Fran?

Houston Astros @ St. Louis Cardinals
Saturday, August 1, 7:10 p.m. ET
Wandy Rodriguez (10-6, 2.65) vs Chris Carpenter (9-3, 2.19)

Saturday's Astros/Cardinals tilt gives you an opportunity to make a highly "educated guess," as it features two veteran starters who have faced the opposing team—a divisional rival—many times. Wandy Rodriguez has been a machine since the All-Star break and, really, all season long. However, while he was 4-0 with a 0.75 ERA July, he now enters his worst career month (6-9, 5.37 in August). He should hang tough against the Cardinals regardless, as he has a 3.38 ERA at Busch Stadium. He faces world-beater Chris Carpenter, who's 5-1 with a 1.76 ERA at home this season. Carpenter is also 5-3 with four complete games and two shutouts all-time against the Astros, so you should probably bet on the Cards.

Daily sports pick: Cardinals

Philadelphia Phillies @ San Francisco Giants
Saturday, August 1, 9:05 p.m. ET
Joe Blanton (7-4, 4.11) vs Tim Lincecum (11-3, 2.30)

Joe Blanton is portly - not quite in the realm of Charlie Weis in college football betting, but close—yet he's getting it done on the mound lately. He's still serving up homers like crazy but went 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA in July. He'll have to pitch around new Giant Ryan Garko, who has three homers and a 1.509 OPS in just 14 at bats against him, but he's pitching well enough that he should keep the Frisco bats in check.

Cy Young candidate Tim Lincecum takes the hill for the Gaints, fresh off his 15-strikeout performance against Pittsburgh. In theory, it's bad betting management to go against Lincecum, but there's upset value here. Lincecum's career ERA against the Phillies is north of 4.00 and he's allowed a handful of homers against them—something he doesn't do very often. Ryan Howard may get to him, as he's already taken him deep twice in nine at-bats. Lincecum is obviously an amazing pitcher, but even the best have the odd speed bump, and no team is better equipped to get to him than the Phillies.

Daily sports pick: Phillies