The St. Louis Cardinals are eight games back of the Cubs in the NL Central after dropping the final two games of a three game set in St. Louis. They head out on the road to play Game 1 of a new series in the nation's Capital, and I like the Cardinals as an underdog in the opener.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Mike Leake will get the call for the visitors, and he's really turned his season around. Leake (3-3, 4.07 ERA) tossed seven scoreless innings in a win over Arizona in his last outing. The Cardinals have won his last four starts, after losing four of his first five. The Nats send Joe Ross to the mound, and the rigth-hander has lost four straight.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Washington slugger Bryce Harper has really cooled off, batting just .194 in the month of May. He hasn't hit a home run since early May, and he's just 2-for-10 lifetime versus Mike Leake.

3. X-Factor - The Cardinals have won 11 of their last 16 road games, and eight of their last 11 at Washington.

Selection: This is a play on the Cardinals +1.5 (6*)