Pittsburgh Pirates vs
St. Louis CardinalsPredictions & Preview

St. Louis Cardinals Favored to Win Opening Game Against Pittsburgh Pirates: Prediction and Stats

This article provides a prediction for the opening game of a three-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. The Pirates are coming off a series against the Padres while the Cardinals played a doubleheader against the Mets. The Pirates won two of three games in their first series against the Cardinals earlier in the season. Carmen Mlodzinski will pitch for the Pirates and Miles Mikolas will pitch for the Cardinals. St. Louis is favored to win with a current line of -145. The article was published prior to the conclusion of both teams' games on Sunday.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Pirates +128 | Cardinals -145
• Spread: Pirates +1.5 (-170) | Cardinals -1.5 (+148)
• Total: Over/Under 8.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that St. Louis will win straight-up is 59%.

Pittsburgh vs St. Louis Stats

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh suffered another loss in their recent game against the Padres, marking their third straight defeat and sixth in the last seven games. The team currently holds a 12-22 record for the season and sits in last place in the NL Central division, trailing the Cubs by nine games for the top spot. Despite a strong pitching performance by Bailey Falter, the Pirates fell short, finishing with six hits and leaving 10 runners on base. David Bednar took the loss after allowing a crucial run in the ninth inning. Carmen Mlodzinski is set to start the next game for the Pirates, aiming to improve upon his 1-3 record with a 6.58 ERA for the season. Pittsburgh ranks 27th in offense, averaging 3.35 runs per game, and 21st in defense, allowing an average of 4.65 runs against them per game.

St. Louis Cardinals Analysis

The St. Louis Cardinals have been struggling recently, dropping their second straight and fourth in the last six games. They stand fourth in the NL Central with a record of 14-19, 6.5 games behind the Cubs. In their most recent game against New York, Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras provided some offense but it wasn't enough to secure the win. Sonny Gray struggled on the mound, taking the loss after allowing six runs over 4.1 innings. Miles Mikolas will be starting for the Cardinals in their upcoming game against the Pirates, coming off a strong performance in his last outing. The Cardinals have a power ranking of 18 and are ranked #13 for offense and #22 for defense. Against Pittsburgh, they have won one out of their last three matchups.

Pirates and Cardinals Face Challenges as Season Progresses

Both teams are currently experiencing some challenges in the current season. The Pirates have faced setbacks with six losses in seven games, while the Cardinals have had a streak of four losses in six games leading up to Sunday. With the Redbirds playing their second doubleheader in a five-day span, there is concern about the strain placed on their bullpen. It raises questions about the utilization of Mikolas to conserve the arms of the pitching staff or potentially relying on fatigued pitchers to finish the game. Despite this, the Pirates lack offensive firepower, giving the advantage to the Cardinals in this matchup.

Sources: [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ]