Batter Up! Baseball bettors get the inside scoop for the 2011 World Series matchup between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals. Get your winning betting predictions and odds below.

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MLB fans and baseball betting enthusiasts everywhere that just love either wagering on or watching, America’s ‘favorite pastime’ will enjoy this informative betting breakdown on this year’s upcoming version of the annual Fall Classic.

Whether you’re an ‘old school’ baseball purist or a new-age diamond junkie, you’ll be well-armed with information on the 2011 MLB World Series when the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals take to the field at Busch Stadium in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

With that said, let me get started with my in-depth look at all of the particulars surrounding this year’s championship showdown.

2011 World Series Odds – Rangers -160, Cardinals +140

The Texas Rangers (103-69 SU, 91-72-9 O/U, 98-74 RL) used their prolific offense to bash their way into the World Series by beating the Detroit Tigers 4-2 in the ALCS to advance to its second straight fall classic.

The red-hot St. Louis Cardinals (97-76 SU, 93-74-6 O/U, 83-90 RL) barely reached the postseason as the Wild Card team in the National League this season, getting its ticket punched on the final day of the regular season, but they’ve vanquished two of the game’s most  potent offensive ballclubs en route to their 18th World Series appearance.

In spite of each team’s postseason successes so far, both ballclubs had to rely mostly on offense to get the job in their respective LCS matchups, with their respective starting pitching faltering early and often

The Rangers prevailed over Detroit despite not getting a single victory from a starter in the American League championship series while the Cardinals made some MLB history of their own by becoming the first team to win a best-of-seven postseason series without a starting pitcher going beyond five innings.

Both teams however, have been absolutely incendiary for quite some time coming into this World Series battle with Texas going a blistering 40-18 in its last 58 games and St. Louis riding the crest of a 23-9 wave over its L/32 games.

Now, let’s take a look at each team in all facets of the game.

Pitching
Both teams have recorded identical 3.79 ERA’s coming into the World Series. Texas has a whopping five starting pitchers that all won double-digit games this season, led by left-hander C.J. Wilson’s 16-7 mark with a 2.94 ERA and Derek Holland’s 16-5 record with a 4.40 ERA. Matt Harrison and Colby Lewis each added 14 wins with Alexi Ogando adding 13 victories. The Rangers also finished fourth in team quality starts this season and fifth in WHIP (1.24) while the bullpen has compiled an impressive 4-0 in the postseason with a stellar 2.34 ERA and .193 opposing batting average.

The Cardinals’ didn’t get the quality starting pitching that Texas did throughout the season with the team finishing 16th in quality starts (86) and 21st in strikeout (1098). St. Louis had four double-digit game winners in its starting rotation, led by Kyle Lohse 14-8 mark and 3.39 ERA while Chris Carpenter went 11-9 with a 3.45 ERA following a rough start to the regular season. Left-hander Jamie Garcia went 13-7 with a 3.56 ERA with Jake Westbrook going 12-9 with a 4.66 ERA. Nevertheless, St. Louis got some spotty performances from all of their starters outside of Chris Carpenter with Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Edwin Jackson combining to go  1-4 with a collective 6.21 ERA in their eight postseason outings so far. St. Louis’ bullpen has also been a revelation for them as well with St. Louis’ relievers going 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA and .177 opposing batting average since the start of the postseason. Over their L/10 games,

Texas has gone 7-3 with a 4.11 ERA while St. Louis has also gone 7-3 over the same span with a 3.54 team ERA. Believe it or not baseball bettors and fans, once you get past perennial Cy Young contender Chris Carpenter, it looks like Texas has the edge in pitching, if ever so slight.
Edge: Texas

Hitting
There aren’t many team that can keep up with Texas’ prolific offense, but at least the Cardinals will hit the postseason on fire offensively.

Texas is ranked in the top five in every major offensive category, including runs per game (5.28, third), team batting average (.283, first) OPS (second) and home runs (210, 2nd) while also finishing fifth in stolen bases (143). The Rangers had five players bash at least 25 home runs this season, including team leaders Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler (32), Mike Napoli (30), ALCS MVP Nelson Cruz (29) and arguably their best hitter, Josh Hamilton (25). Second baseman Michael Young batted .338 to lead the Rangers with Napoli hitting .320 and Hamilton .298.

Despite those impressive statistics, St. Louis enters the World Series having scored more runs than every playoff team (62) while batting a blistering .288 as a team. The Cards get most of their power from team leader Albert Pujols (.299, 37 HRs), Lance Berkman (.301, 31 HRs) and Matt Holliday (.296, 22 HRs), but they’ve also got plenty of quality hitters like NLCS MVP David Freese. Since the postseason started, Freese has been St. Louis’ best hitter, batting a scorching .425 with 4 HRs and 14 RBI in the NLCS alone.

Texas will counter Freese’s heroics with the red-hot Nelson Cruz. The Ranger’s outfielder went absolutely nuts against Detroit in the ALCS, smacking a whopping six homer runs and driving in 13 runs. However, Napoli, Hamilton and Kinsler have combined for just two postseason home runs so far after blasting a whopping 87 combined during the regular season. Still, the edge in hitting goes to Texas – though it may not be as wide a gap as it previously was with St. Louis now hitting the cover off the ball like they’re an AL ballclub.
Edge: Texas

Managing
I really like Texas’ Ron Washington and the job he’s done in getting the Rangers to two consecutive World Series, but I’ve got to give the edge to St. Louis in the managerial department. Tony La Russa (1,408-1,182) will make his sixth World Series appearance while trying to win his third after leading Oakland to the 1989 title and the Cardinals to the title in 2006. La Russa has won 12 division titles and six pennants (1988, 1989, 1990, 2004, 2006, 2011) while leading three different clubs to the League Championship Series (Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals). Ron Washington (427-383) is the first Texas manager to win a postseason series and first to get the Rangers to make a World Series appearance, but the fact of the matter is that he’s going up against arguably the greatest manager in MLB history.
Edge: St. Louis

Intangibles
You know what intangibles are baseball bettors! They’re those game-deciding aspects that you just can’t grasp but are always there just waiting to make an appearance. In the case of the Rangers, they’ve got the recent experience of reaching the World Series – and losing it – firmly in their minds and will almost certainly leave nothing on the field this time around. For St. Louis, they’ve got arguably the best hitter in the game today in first baseman Albert Pujols and the knowledge that they’ve won it all before (2006), though some of the faces from that team are no longer with the team. The Cards also have what I like to call an ‘overachiever’s mentality’ that has been instilled by La Russa. The intangible department is really close, but I’m giving the edge to St. Louis very slightly because of Tony La Russa.

Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers
Prediction: Under 9 -110 odds (October 10th 2011)
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Game 2 of the series was rained-out on Sunday, meaning that after tonight’s game, there won’t be a travel day on Tuesday. Instead, the teams will play game 3 on Tuesday in Detroit. This is actually good news for the Tigers, who get an extra days rest for their hard throwing right-hander, Max Scherzer. Scherzer is a big reason the Tigers advanced to the ALCS, pitching some great middle relief in game five of the ALDS at New York. Scherzer pitched great against the Yankees, starting and going six strong innings, holding the Yankees to just two hits and no runs. Then he came back and pitched a nice 1 1/3 innings of game five. Derek Holland will toe the rubber for the Rangers in game 2. Holland was 16-5 this season with a 3.95 ERA. Holland also had a strong ALDS, pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and just one earned run. The 24-year old beat the Rays and then got a hold in relief. Two strong pitchers here in game two. With two strong pitchers again here matching up, I look for a game similar to the first game, low scoring and close. I’m taking the UNDER in game 2. Get more MLB baseball playoffs predictions from Jim Feist at Touthouse.com.

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
MLB Baseball Playoffs Betting Pick: Milwaukee Brewers -150 (October 7th 2011)

Milwaukee was unable to close out the Diamondbacks in Arizona, but that won’t stop me from laying the juice on the Brewers in Game 5 tonight. Milwaukee was the best home team in all of baseball during the regular season and had no trouble beating the Diamondbacks at home in the first two games of the series.

Milwaukee will send out their ace Yovani Gallardo, who is 11-2 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.097 WHIP in 17 home starts. He was brilliant in game 1 of the series, holding Arizona to just 1 run on 4 hits in 8 innings of a 4-1 win. That dominant performance was nothing new for Gallardo against the the Diamondbacks. He is 6-0 with 1.18 ERA and 0.868 WHIP in six career starts.

The Brewers are 47-13 in their last 60 games as a home favorite, 41-10 in their last 51 home games vs. a right-handed starter, and 6-1 in Gallardos last 7 home starts vs. a team with a winning record. BET MILWAUKEE!

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New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
Pick: Over 9 -110 Betting line (October 6th 2011)
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Look for the bats to come out to play tonight in Game 5 of the ALDS. Both Ivan Nova and Doug Fister go at it again after taking over for C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander in the second inning of the suspended Game 1. The Yankees won that game 9-3, largely due to a poor outing from Fister, who gave up six runs in 4 2/3 innings. In fact, Fister is now 1-3 with a 7.15 ERA lifetime versus New York. Nova is having a solid rookie season overall, but he has not fared all that well at Yankee Stadium this year. Nova sports a 4.11 ERA and 1.406 WHIP in 14 home starts in 2011. New York is hitting .273 and scoring 5.8 runs/game at home this year in their batter-friendly new stadium. The Tigers are hitting .300 and scoring 6.0 runs/game over their last seven contests. The Yankees are 57-33 OVER (+22.5 Units) at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons. Detroit is 35-20 OVER (+14.3 Units) when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season. Take the OVER 9 runs here. -Black Widow (Touthouse.com)

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
MLB Playoff Predictions: St. Louis Cardinals +118 odds (October 5th 2011)
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The St. Louis Cardinals aren’t going to go quietly. I like their chances of sending this series back to Philadelphia tonight with Edwin Jackson on the mound. This is a team that was left for dead, but made a huge charge in the month of September to prove that they have no quit in them.

Jackson has been at his best at home all season, going 5-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 17 starts this year. Roy Oswalt is clearly on the back end of his career and he was far from dominant this season. Oswalt went 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.338 WHIP in 24 starts, including 5-6 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.459 WHIP in 14 road outings.

In his last start at St. Louis, Oswalt gave up four earned runs in two innings before getting replaced in a 2-12 loss to the Cardinals on 6/23/2011. Oswalt is 1-6 against the money line after giving up 1 or less earned runs last outing this season. He did pitch well in his last start against the hapless Braves, but that’s not saying much considering the way Atlanta finished the season.

The Phillies are 2-8 in Oswalt’s last 10 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game. Philly is 1-4 in Oswalt’s last 5 road starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Cardinals are 9-1 in their last 10 home games vs. a right-handed starter. St. Louis is 5-0 in their last 5 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game. The Cards are 4-0 in Jackson’s last 4 starts overall. Bet St. Louis Wednesday.

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Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees
Prediction: Detroit Tigers -103 betting odds (October 4th 2011)

I believe the Tigers are in a prime spot to take down the Yankees and advance to the ALCS. New York’s starting pitching is what everyone was worried about coming into the series, and I believe it is going to be what sends them packing.

The Yankees will send out A.J. Burnett in what is the biggest game of the season for New York. Burnett went just 11-11 with a 5.16 ERA in 32 starts this season and was just 4-5 with a 6.30 ERA on the road. Detroit knows they have to take advantage of this game and not allow this series to go back to New York.

Detroit will send out Rick Porcello, who isn’t exactly a shutdown starter. However, Porcello doesn’t have the pressure of having to pitch a perfect game, as the Tigers get another chance if they lose this game. On the other hand, the Yankees hitters have a ton of pressure on them in this game, as they not only have to score runs to win the game, but they know they likely have to score a lot with Burnett on the mount. I think Porcello holds them to 4-5 runs and the Tigers find away to score enough to win this game.

Detroit is 13-3 in their last 16 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30, 21-5 in their last 26 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game, and 5-1 in Porcellos last 6 starts vs. a team with a winning record. BET THE TIGERS!

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New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
Prediction: over 7 -110 odds (September 30th 2011)

There’s no denying that Justin Verlander and C.C. Sabathia are two of the best starters in the game. As a result though, they are both getting a lot of respect with such a low total set in Game 1 of the ALDS tonight. Both starters have been sub-par when facing their respective opponents throughout their careers. Sabathia is 15-12 with a 4.54 ERA in 32 career starts against Detroit. Verlander is 4-3 with a 4.06 ERA and 1.548 WHIP in 11 career starts against the Yankees. Verlander has given up exactly three earned runs in each of his last three starts against New York for a 4.74 ERA, not once making it past the 6th inning. All three of those contests saw eight or more combined runs. Sabathia is 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA in his last four starts against the Tigers. He has yielded 14 earned runs, 4 home runs and 38 base runners in 26 innings over this span. The Yankees are hitting .274 and scoring 5.8 RPG at home in 2011. The Tigers are hitting .287 and scoring 5.3 RPG against left-handed starters this year. Detroit comes into the postseason red hot at the plate, and they are 27-13 to the OVER after batting .290 or better over a 20 game span this season. The Yankees are 25-7 to the OVER in home games vs. a starting pitcher who gives up 5.5 or less hits/start over the last 2 seasons. I’m seeing an average of 11.3 RPG in this spot. The OVER is 5-0 in Tigers last 5 games as a road underdog. The OVER is 35-17-3 in Tigers last 55 games following an off day. The OVER is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings in New York. Bet the OVER in this game Friday.

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Houston Astros vs. St. Louis Cardinals
MLB Baseball Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -177 odds (September 28th 2011)

The St. Louis Cardinals would be in control of their playoff fate had they taken care of the major league-worst Houston Astros in the opener of the season’s final series. Given the deficit they’ve already overcome, though, being tied for the NL wild-card lead with one game left isn’t such a bad scenario. The Cardinals can do no worse than force a one-game playoff with a win at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday night in the regular-season finale against the Astros. St. Louis took advantage of the Braves’ 7-1 loss Tuesday by rallying from five down for a 13-6 victory and forging a tie with one game remaining. The Cardinals have won 22 of 31 to rally from 10 1/2 games behind Atlanta to the brink of the postseason. Chris Carpenter is 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.292 WHIP this season, and he’s been dominant down the stretch, going 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA in his last two starts. Carpenter will be opposed by Brett Myers, who is 7-13 with a 4.31 ERA in 2011. Myers is 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA in two starts versus St. Louis this year. Few starters have owned the Astros quite like Carpenter, who is 8-5 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.078 WHIP in 20 lifetime starts versus Houston. After rallying from five down last night, the Cards have a ton of momentum and confidence heading into this one. Take St. Louis on the Money Line. -Black Widow MLB Baseball Picks

Baseball Betting Picks: September 26th 2011
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Pick: Los Angeles Angels -123
The Angels need a miracle to make it to the postseason, as they trail the Red Sox by 3 games in the Wild Card standings with just 3 games left and are also two games back of the Rays. While the odds aren’t great, as long as their is a chance I expect this team to come out and put everything on the line to bring home a win. That really makes them a strong play at home tonight against the Rangers. Los Angeles will start Dan Haren against C.J. Wilson. The Rangers have already locked up the AL West and will simply be going through the motions over the final three games of the season. Wilson is a great starter, but I can’t imagine the Rangers keeping him out there for long as they will want him to be as fresh as possible going into game 1 of their first round matchup. Haren comes in 15-9 with a 3.22 ERA on the season, 8-3 with a 2.47 ERA on the road, and 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA in his last three starts. The Angels are 23-8 in their last 31 home games vs. a left-handed starter, 16-6 in their last 22 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150, and 5-1 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. BET THE ANGELS! -Steve Janus

Pick: Red Sox vs. Orioles Under 9
On Monday night the free MLB System Play is on the Under in the Boston at Baltimore game. Rotation numbers 917/918 at 7:05 eastern. This game fits a solid totals system here that plays to the under for road favorites of -200 or higher off a road win, vs an opponent who was also on the road in their last game. These games tend to be low scoring. Boston has J. Beckett making the start as they try and hold on for the wild card. Beckett has gone under in 11 of his 15 road starts and has a solid 2.68 road era this season. Four of the six games here this season have gone under and the Redsox have played under 5 of 7 times as a road favorite of -175 or higher. Look for this one to stay under the posted total. On Monday the lead plays are the 18-0 Triple angle Power play and The MLB Dominator Side. Sunday NFL moved to 27 games over .500 as our 3 highest rated plays cashed with KC, Denver and Indy. Jump on and start the week out right. I will have another free play on tonight’s radio show at 7:05 eastern. Listen online at 88.9 wsia.fm. For the free play take the Under in Boston at Baltimore game. -Rob Vinciletti

Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles
Pick: Boston Red Sox -1.5 -120 MLB odds (September 20th 2011)

On Tuesday the free Play is the Boston Redsox on the Run line at -1.5 runs. Game 924 at 7:10 eastern. Boston is a large favorite here tonight. hence the run line play. They fit a system that has cashed 14 of 15 times which plays on home favorites from -140 or higher with a total of 10 or more that scored 10 or more runs as a favorite of -200 or higher, vs an opponent off a road dog loss and scored 5 or more runs with 10+ hits. These large favorites come right back in the next game with a win. Boston hit their rough patch and will likely start to break out which they did last night in game 2 of a double header with a 18-9 win. They are 7-0 as a home favorite from -225 to -20 while Baltimore is 4-21 as a road dog in that same range the past 3 years. The Orioles are also 1-7 on the road when the total is 10 or more. Vandehurk start for Baltimore and if he pitches like he did in his first start in Toronto, the Orioles will be in the bullpen early again. Boston has Bedard going and he allowed 2 runs in 6+ innings in his lone home start vs the Orioles. Look for Boston to win and cover the -1.5 run line. On Tuesday the 2 lead plays are the MLB Dog of the Month and a 92% MLB Power System side. Jump on and cash out on Tuesday night. Get more MLB baseball picks from Rob Vinciletti at Touthouse.com