Rangers vs Cardinals Game 1 World Series Odds 2011: The 2011 Fall Classic officially gets underway tonight at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. The latest MLB Odds have the hosting Cardinals, which send staff ace Chris Carpenter to the hill, listed as a -119 moneyline favorite in tonight's Game 1 clash with the Texas Rangers. Tonight's game is scheduled for an 8:00pm ET start on FOX.
The Texas Rangers second consecutive bid for an ALCS crown got off to an inauspicious start with Ron Washington's squad 
falling 9-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays. Texas quickly recovered, though, winning three straight over the Rays before wiping out the Tigers 4-2 in the league championship series.
The Rangers bats, as expected, played a big role in the team's playoff success. Texas scored an average of 5.5 runs per game in its run to the World Series, leaving it second only to the Cardinals average of 5.6 runs per contest. Nelson Cruz, the dominant force in the Rangers lineup this postseason, hit six home runs and 13 RBI in the team's 10 playoff games.
Cruz and his long list of powerful cohorts, which includes the likes of Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, Ian Kinsler, and Michael Young, could need another high run outing this evening if staff ace C.J. Wilson continues his horrid postseason performance. Wilson, who posted a 16-7 record and 2.94 ERA in the regular season, gave up 21 hits, six home runs, eight walks, and 14 earned runs in three playoff starts (15.2 innings pitched). Get $50 in Free MLB Picks Here.
St. Louis, which has scored a playoff high 62 runs, will feast upon the left handed Wilson if he continues to give hitters the free pass. The Cardinals banged out 7.2 runs per game in their six game dispatching of the Milwaukee Brewers. NLCS MVP David Freese was the offensive catalyst for St. Louis in its Fall Classic push as he hammered out 17 hits, four home runs, and 14 RBI in 40 postseason at-bats.
Freese was gold against southpaw's this season, posting a .347 average, .393 on-base percentage, and .900 OPS opposite left handed pitchers.
Chris Carpenter, who pitched the Cardinals into the NLCS with a masterful Game 5 showing against the Phillies, last took the hill a 4-3 Game 3 win over Milwaukee. Carpenter gave up six hits, three walks, and three earned runs over five innings in the one run victory. In three 2011 playoff starts Carpenter owns a 2-0 record with a 3.71 ERA (17 innings pitched).
Tonight's game marks the first meeting between these two franchises since June of 2004. St. Louis won that series 2-1, but the lone loss got hung on Carpenter, who is 2-6 with a 7.26 ERA in 11 career starts opposite the Rangers.
Rangers vs Cardinals Game 1 World Series Odds 2011: Provided by BetOnline.com
Texas Rangers +1.5 (-210), Over 7.5 (-110), +109 (Moneyline)
St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 (+180), Under 7.5 (-110), -119 (Moneyline)
