Marlins vs. Cardinals Wednesday probable pitchers, odds: NL Cy Young favorite Sandy Alcantara faces MVP betting leader Paul Goldschmidt

If Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara stays as the betting favorite at Caesars Sportsbook for the NL Cy Young Award all season and Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt maintains his status as the NL MVP favorite, tonight's game in St. Louis will represent the last such meeting between the leaders as it's the final meeting of the season between the clubs. The Cardinals are going for the three-game sweep but are +105 underdogs.  (See tickets at StubHub)

We are assuming Goldschmidt (.347, 19 HRs, 65 RBIs) will be in the lineup as he continues to rake at the plate, batting .337 with eight homers and 22 RBI this month. He's gone 5-for-7 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored in this series. He has struggled career against Alcantara in his career, though. The slugging first baseman is just 2-for-12 with four strikeouts against the Miami ace. Goldschmidt is +100 to win the MVP and +490 to go yard tonight. The Cardinals' last MVP was Albert Pujols in 2009 when he won the third of his career.

The Marlins have never had a Cy Young winner, but Alcantara is +250, ahead of San Diego's Joe Musgrove (+450) and Milwaukee's Corbin Burnes (+450). Alcantara (7-3, 1.95 ERA) ranks third in the majors in ERA (best by a Marlin through 15 starts of a season), sixth in WHIP (0.95) and first in innings pitched (106.1).

He has worked at least seven innings in nine straight outings, which is astonishing in this day and age. It's the longest stretch by any MLB pitcher in a single season since Rick Porcello and Clayton Kershaw in 2016 and the longest such stretch by a Marlins pitcher since Carl Pavano (13 straight in 2004). Alcantara has thrown at least eight innings in six starts this season, double more than anyone else (Aaron Nola with three). Alcantara dominated the Cardinals on April 20 with eight shutout innings but took a no-decision.

It seems likely that Miami's best offensive player, infielder Jazz Chisholm (.254, 14 HRs, 45 RBI), will sit tonight. He missed the opener with back troubles and started Tuesday but was pulled early with a recurrence and was scheduled to have an MRI today. The Marlins average 4.7 runs per game with him in the lineup and 3.2 without.

St. Louis starts rookie Andre Pallante (2-3, 2.03 ERA) on the mound. He has thrown two scoreless innings vs. Miami. 

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