2013 World Series Odds, Picks and Predictions: St. Louis Cardinals vs Boston Red Sox Free World Series Picks

2013 World Series Odds, Picks and Predictions: St. Louis Cardinals vs Boston Red Sox Free World Series Picks: For the first time since the 1999 season, the teams with the best records in their respective leagues will meet in the World Series when the St. Louis Cardinals (97-65) face the Boston Red Sox (97-65) in a rematch of the 2004 World Series. The Cardinals are becoming regulars at these late October runs, and they will be playing in the World Series for the second time in three years and the fourth time in the last 10 years. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are looking to continue their worst-to-first turnaround from a year ago with their third championship in the last decade. The best-of-seven series begins Wednesday in Boston.

During the regular season, St. Louis ranked in the top five in nearly every offensive category, but in the the playoffs, the Cardinals’ pitching has carried the load. St. Louis has a 2.34 ERA and 0.98 WHIP as a team in the postseason, and opponents are hitting just .207. Rookie Michael Wacha (0.43 ERA) and ace Adam Wainwright (1.57 ERA) have led the rotation, going a combined 5-1. Meanwhile, closer Trevor Rosenthal has yet to give up a run in 7.0 innings, converting all three of his save chances and striking out nine. On the flip side, the St. Louis offense is hitting just .210 as a team, but timely hitting by Carlos Beltran and Matt Adams has been enough thus far. Meanwhile, the offense could get a boost with slugger Adam Craig expected to return for Game 1 of the World Series.

After leading the majors in just about every offensive category during the regular season, Boston has had to rely on pitching and clutch hitting during the playoffs. The Red Sox are hitting just .236 as a team in the playoffs, and while he has a team-high three homers, slugger David Ortiz is hitting just .200. On the plus side, Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino have been strong at the top of the lineup. Ellsbury is hitting .400 in the playoffs with 10 runs scored, and Victorino had a team-high eight RBIs. Meanwhile, Boston pitching has stepped up its game, posting a 3.05 ERA as a team. Jon Lester has been the workhorse of the rotation, and closer Koji Uehara already has five saves to go along with his 1.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 9.0 innings of work.

The Cardinals Win If:

If the Cardinals are going to win the World Series for the second time in three years, they need to continue to have at least one of their young starters provide support to Wainwright. Wacha has played the role thus far, but Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly could also help the cause. At the plate, St. Louis needs somebody other than Beltran to start driving in runs. Although neither team enters the World Series dialed in at the plate, the Cardinals are going to have a tough time getting by the Red Sox if they continue to hit .210 as a team. In particular, St. Louis needs to recapture the magic that saw the team set a record for batting average with runners in scoring position. If the Cardinals get ace-caliber performances from Wainwright and one of their youngsters while taking advantage of their RBI chances, they can beat Boston in this series.

The Red Sox Win If:

If the Red Sox are going to beat the Cardinals, they need Ortiz and the other sluggers in the middle of the lineup to start hitting. Boston’s top-of-the-lineup guys have been getting on base, but unless someone drives them in, the Red Sox are going to be in trouble against a St. Louis team that has excellent pitching from start to finish. Speaking of pitching, Boston’s starters have to continue their strong postseason play if the Red Sox are going to win the series. If Boston can get to the late innings with the lead or at within striking distance, the team’s stellar bullpen can take it from there. In the end, the Red Sox can win the series if their starters hold their own against the St. Louis staff and the middle of their lineup starts to perform up to its typical standards.

Bottom Line:

These two teams have taken remarkably similar paths to the World Series, and they have already shown their championship-pedigree by winning pennants in their respective leagues despite being forced to change how they win in the wake of their struggling offenses. With that in mind, the Cardinals should have a leg up in the series based on their superior pitching. The St. Louis rotation was better than Boston’s during the regular season, and despite the improved performance of the Red Sox starters in the postseason, the St. Louis arms have still been better. Perhaps more importantly, the Cardinals are equally as stout in the bullpen so the Red Sox won’t be able to knock around the St. Louis relievers as they did to the Detroit relievers in the ALCS. Look for the Cardinals to come up with enough timely hits to win a pitching-dominated, lower-scoring series.

Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals Win the World Series

Get updated 2013 World Series Odds extra FREE MLB Picks and Tips daily from expert handicappers and tipsters on NSAwins.com’s MLB Baseball Tips and Predictions page.