The Pittsburgh Pirates will be squaring off against their division rival St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The action starts at 2:15 p.m. ET and fans can catch it on both ATPT and FSMW.
Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals Odds
Vegas has listed St. Louis (-145) as the favorite over Pittsburgh (+135). The total is sitting at 8.5 runs and bettors can wager on the over for -120 and the under for even money (+100). You can also bet on the games spread with the current runline odds standing at -160 for the Pirates +1.5 runs and +140 for the Cardinals -1.5 runs.
The Cardinals are 31-25 SU and 27-28 ATS. The teams lost 1.6 units for moneyline bettors and 1.9 units against the spread (ATS). St. Louis has covered the spread five times in its last seven games and the under has hit in four of those seven. The Pirates have gone 30-28 SU this year and are 26-31 ATS. Overall, the teams gained 0.3 units for moneyline gamblers, but have lost 5.1 units ATS. Pittsburgh has covered the spread just twice over its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven.
St. Louis games have an over/under record of 21-30-4 so far in 2018. Pittsburgh has an over/under record of 28-23-6.
The right-handed Nick Kingham is projected to start for the visiting Pirates. Kingham is 2-1 with a 3.75 ERA and 25 strikeouts. He’s 1-0 with nine strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA against St. Louis this year.
The Cardinals are turning to righty Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.71 ERA), who has 53 strikeouts and 25 walks to his name as well as a WHIP of 1.19. Wacha hasn’t faced the Pirates yet this year, but he made four starts against them in 2017, compiling a 2-1 record with a 3.04 ERA and 17 strikeouts.
Pittsburgh’s pitchers have allowed 4.4 runs per game and its starters own a 4.07 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 7.40 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.28, along with a WHIP of 1.24.
The Pirates offense has slashed .257/.328/.425 on its way to 4.7 runs scored per game this year, including 5.1 runs per game against divisional foes and 4.4 per game over the teams last five contests (2-3 SU).
Outfielders Corey Dickerson and Starling Marte continue to lead Pittsburgh’s hitters. Dickerson is slashing .313/.347/.490 with five home runs, 32 RBIs and 26 runs scored, while Marte has a .296 average with seven homers, 23 RBIs, 32 runs and 10 stolen bases.
In the other dugout, St. Louis pitchers have allowed 3.9 runs per game overall this year. Its starting pitching staff has an ERA of 3.01, a WHIP of 1.17 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.9. The bullpen has a 4.42 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 8.4 K/9. In 30 divisional games, Cardinals starters have an ERA of 3.06 and the bullpens ERA is 4.29.
St. Louis hitters have produced 4.3 runs per contest, including 4.7 per game against divisional foes and 4.2 per game over their last five. The team has a slash-line of .250/.317/.402 over its last five games and is 3-2 SU during that span.
The Cardinals hitters have been led by first baseman Jose Martinez and left fielder Marcell Ozuna. Martinez is hitting .293/.364/.439 with five home runs, 31 RBIs and 21 runs scored, and Ozuna’s line sits at .271/.320/.360 with four homers, 24 RBIs and 21 runs.
The Pirates have gained 1.6 units and are 22-23 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has hit in 19 of those games, as opposed to 20 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Cardinals have lost 3.9 units and are 19-23 ATS when facing a righty starter. The overs hit in 15 of those games, compared to 23 that’ve gone under.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cardinals, ATS Winner – Pirates, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- St. Louis has recorded 19.5 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 20.6 over its last five.
- The Pirates have hit 10 home runs in their last 10 games, including seven over their last five.
