1* Free play on the St. Louis Cardinals...

The St. Louis Cardinals are off to their best home start in history, going 21-7 at Busch Stadium so far. They host the cellar dwelling Brewers this afternoon, and with a hot veteran pitcher facing an inferior opponent, I believe the Cardinals are worth the price as the favorite.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Cardinals hand the ball to John Lackey, who is coming off a fantastic performance in his last start. Lackey (3-3, 2.83 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings, surrendering just five hits and racking up nine Ks in a win over the Dodgers at home. All three of his wins have come at home in St. Louis, where he is 3-1 with a 1.30 ERA in five starts. The Brewers counter with Jimmy Nelson, who is 0-3 with a 10.24 ERA lifetime versus the Cardinals.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - The Cardinals lineup his hitting .382 against Nelson, with Johnny Peralta leading the way going 4-for-7 with a home run.

3 X-Factor - St. Louis owns the best bullpen in the National League, and it's relievers have a combined ERA of just 2.18.

Selection: This is a play on the St. Louis Cardinals (Free)