A version of this article originally appeared on the Action Network. For more betting insights, check out ActionNetwork.com.

Cardinals vs. Brewers Odds

Cardinals Odds: -1.5 (-200)

Brewers Odds: +1.5 (+170)

Over/Under: 8 (-115 / -105)

Time: 2:10 p.m. ET

TV: YouTube

Odds via SPORTSBOOK. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here.

Death, taxes and St. Louis in September.

Like usual, the Cardinals are peaking as the postseason approaches, as they’ve won 11 straight games. They’re 15-6 in September and they’ve given themselves some breathing room with a 4.5-game lead for the final Wild Card spot.

St. Louis will look to finish off a four-game sweep of Milwaukee after beating Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff, and then, exploding for 10 runs on Wednesday night.

Will the Cardinals be able to make it 12 straight on Thursday afternoon?

Welcome To Wainwright’s World

Is this 2021 or 2014?

Somehow the 40-year-old Adam Wainwright has turned back the clock despite just four players in the league being older than him this year.

Wainwright is 16-7 on the year with a 2.89 ERA, the fourth-lowest mark he’s posted in his 16-year career.

Wainwright is peaking at the right time as St. Louis pushes for the playoffs. In his last 10 starts, he’s 8-1 with a 1.78 ERA.

Uncle Charlie still has one of the best curveballs in baseball and his sinker has been more effective this year than in his entire career.

After a really slow start at the plate, the Cardinals’ offense has come roaring back, ranking 11th in the league in wOBA and 10th in wRC+ over the last 30 days.

Paul Goldschmidt is mashing the ball, hitting .340 with a 1.098 OPS over the last two weeks, and Tyler O’Neill is batting .327 with a 1.135 OPS and has six home runs and 15 RBIs over that span.

Brewers’ Pitching Staff Never Quits

It’s easy for Adrian Houser to get lost in this dominant pitching staff, but he’s put together a solid year in his first full season as part of the starting rotation.

He’s 9-6 with a 3.43 ERA in a career-high 24 starts.

Houser has a low strikeout rate and relies on ground balls (third-highest ground-ball rate in the league) and soft contact.

His last start against St. Louis was the best of his career, throwing a complete-game shutout and allowing just three hits.

Milwaukee’s offense isn’t going to light up a scoreboard, but with this pitching staff, the Brewers don’t have to. The Brew Crew ranks just 24th in wOBA and wRC+ in the last 30 days.

Kolten Wong left yesterday’s game with hamstring tightness and Willy Adames did not play yesterday after just returning from an injury himself.

Cardinals-Brewers Pick

We have ourselves a wrong team favored here folks!

Wainwright is still known for that devastating curveball, which is his most thrown pitch at 35%. Teams are batting just .211 against it this year.

Milwaukee really struggles with the curveball, ranking just 22nd in the league against breaking balls.

The Brewers have faced Wainwright three times this season and he’s posted a 2.08 ERA against them.

In fact, in Wainwright’s long career, he’s faced the division foe 47 times and has a 2.47 ERA against them, his second-best mark against any team in the National League.

St. Louis has gone 53-38 with Wainwright on the mound as an underdog in his career. He’s pitching lights out right now and the Cardinals are the hottest team in baseball.

If you want to give me the better pitcher and the team playing better at plus money, I’ll take it every time.

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals ML +110 (Play to -110)