Jack Flaherty's Return Could Be Catalyst for Cardinals to Win NL Central

The St. Louis Cardinals have won five of their last six games and hold a 2.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

Despite their lead and the Brewers' 1-9 record over their last 10, the Cardinals still sit as +120 to win the division over at WynnBET Sportsbook.

Those plus-money odds may not last long, however, as Jack Flaherty's return to the rotation today can propel St. Louis to an NL Central crown.

Jack Flaherty's Impact on NL Central Race

The 26-year-old former first round pick has been excellent since he entered the majors. He has a career 3.34 ERA and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2019, adding an excellent starter to an already-stout St. Louis rotation.

Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas are among the best starters in MLB, while Dakota Hudson has a 3.29 ERA through 12 starts. They have the fifth-lowest team ERA in the NL, but haven't had the depth required to last a long season. Flaherty's return should allow Jordan Hicks or Packy Naughton to slide back into the bullpen, where each may be better suited long-term, and give the Cardinals three high-end starters to compete with every week.

If their rotation is suddenly one of the league's best, the sky's the limit for St. Louis. Paul Goldschmidt has the third-best odds to win NL MVP (+350) while Nolan Arenado and Tommy Edman are perhaps the best at their respective positions in the league. At some point, if you have advantages everywhere, you overwhelm the competition.

I love the Cardinals at +120 to win the NL Central and think at worst, we'll have a great hedging opportunity in a month or so. Don't wait to place your bet over at WynnBET though. After Flaherty pitches tonight, I doubt we'll have plus odds for long.

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.