The Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals game is set for first pitch at 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the Dodgers returning a 1.72x payout with a win, via PrizePicks.
The Dodgers hit the road after a surprising home series loss to the Miami Marlins. Los Angeles dropped two of three to Miami and needed a ninth-inning rally for its lone victory on Monday.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, return to Busch Stadium following an impressive four-game road sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates. St. Louis improved to 10-5 in its last 15 games after Thursday’s 10-5 triumph.
Below, we'll break down our Dodgers vs. Cardinals prediction and picks for Friday's MLB game, including the winner, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
Make your picks for Dodgers vs. Cardinals on PrizePicks now.
{{mlb_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Dodgers vs. Cardinals Prediction, Winner Payout, Over/Under – Friday, May 1
The Dodgers (20-11) remain atop the National League West despite their third series loss. Los Angeles now heads out for its fifth road set of 2026, failing to win its last two at the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants.
The Cardinals (18-13) rebounded after getting swept at home by the Seattle Mariners last weekend to capture all four games at Pittsburgh. St. Louis scored 30 runs in the four outings, compared to 13 runs during its four-game skid.
Los Angeles is tied with the Atlanta Braves for the best run differential in the league (+66), while the Dodgers are +40 on the road.
St. Louis hasn’t fared well in series openers, dropping six of 10. The Cardinals have lost three of the past four home series openers since defeating the Tampa Bay Rays to begin the season.
The Cardinals grabbed four of six meetings from the Dodgers in 2025, including a home series victory last June.
Dodgers vs. Cardinals Winner Payout, Over/Under – Friday, May 1
The Dodgers enter Friday’s game as road favorites against the Cardinals, returning a 1.72x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for the Dodgers vs. Cardinals game on PrizePicks.
- Spread: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (1.88x payout)
- Over/Under: 8.5 (1.92x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: Dodgers 1.72x | Cardinals 2.08x
Play the Dodgers vs. Cardinals winner or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Dodgers vs. Cardinals Prediction on Winner – 5/1/26
Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Dodgers vs. Cardinals prediction on the winner for Friday, May 1.
Lock in your Dodgers vs. Cardinals prediction on PrizePicks before the line moves.
- The St. Louis pitching staff ranks last in MLB in K/9 at 6.98. The Dodgers are tied for 24th in strikeout rate at 20.8%.
- Los Angeles is 4-0-1 in the first five innings in SP Emmet Sheehan’s five starts. The Dodgers return a 1.75x payout to lead after five frames tonight.
- The Cardinals have seen more success on the road (11-5) than at home (7-8). They also average just 4.2 runs at home but 5.75 in away games.
- The Dodgers lead MLB in wOBA (.354), xBA (.273), and xSLG (.471).
- Cardinals SP Matthew Liberatore has struggled in the confines of his own park, owning a 5.12 ERA and allowing 6 home runs.
Dodgers vs. Cardinals Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks: 5/1/26
Here are top Dodgers vs. Cardinals picks to target on PrizePicks for Friday, May 1. Today’s MLB picks for PrizePicks include SP Matthew Liberatore and DH Shohei Ohtani.
Cardinals SP Matthew Liberatore vs. Dodgers Projection: 3.5 Strikeouts
- The left-hander has finished with 3 or fewer strikeouts in four of six starts.
- Liberatore’s strikeout rate sits at 14.1%, the worst of any St. Louis starting pitcher.
- In his lone start against the Dodgers last season, Liberatore compiled just 1 strikeout in 4.0 innings of work.
Add Matthew Liberatore to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
{{mlb_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani vs. Cardinals Projection: 9.5 Hitter Fantasy Score
- Ohtani posted at least 10 fantasy points in four of the last five games, capped off with 11 points in Wednesday’s loss to Miami.
- The four-time MVP is tied for 11th in the league in xwOBA at .411 and tied for fifth in barrel rate at 21.5%.
- Ohtani is batting .375 with 3 home runs against left-handed pitching. All three homers were solo shots.
- In six plate appearances against Liberatore, Ohtani has gone deep once and walked twice.
- Ohtani began the season with 9 hits in his first five road games and has 7 hits in the past eight contests away from Dodger Stadium.
Add Shohei Ohtani to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Make Dodgers vs. Cardinals Picks on PrizePicks
The Dodgers have struggled in the last two series and aim to get on track against the suddenly hot Cardinals. Can L.A. turn things around and improve to 4-1 in road series openers?
Don’t wait until lock — make your Dodgers vs. Cardinals picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
Pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on game winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Stay locked in on Playbook for daily MLB predictions, picks, and news every day all the way through the 2026 World Series.
