San Francisco Giants vs
St. Louis CardinalsPredictions & Preview

San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals Set to Face off in Series Finale at Busch Stadium

The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals are set to face off in the final game of a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Jordan Hicks will take the mound for the Giants, while Sonny Gray will start for the Cardinals. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:15 PM ET, with St. Louis opening as the home favorite. Both starting pitchers, Logan Webb for the Giants and Sonny Gray for the Cardinals, have strong ERAs going into the matchup. St. Louis remains the betting favorite, opening at -124 with no movement in the line.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Giants +114 | Cardinals -124
• Spread: Giants +1.5 (-198) | Cardinals -1.5 (+164)
• Total: Over/Under 7.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that St. Louis will win straight-up is 55%.

San Francisco vs St. Louis Stats

San Francisco Giants

Jordan Hicks will be facing his former team on Sunday afternoon, coming off a strong performance in which he allowed no runs over five innings against the Cubs. Despite battling an illness, Hicks was able to overcome control issues to deliver a solid outing. This was his first scoreless performance since his season debut in March, showing his consistency and reliability throughout the season. Hicks has maintained a solid ERA of 2.82 and impressive stats through 76.2 innings. On the other hand, San Francisco is ranked 16th in power ranking, with a strong offense but weaker defense, sitting at 14th in offense and 24th in defense. They have a record of 36-40 for the season.

St. Louis Cardinals Analysis

In the upcoming series finale against the Giants, Sonny Gray will take the mound for St. Louis. Last week, Gray had a strong outing against the Marlins, allowing two runs over 7.2 innings but did not factor in the decision. Despite his low strikeout count in that game, Gray displayed efficiency on the mound with only 84 pitches needed to record 23 outs. With a current ERA of 2.95 and a 1.02 WHIP through 13 starts, Gray will look to replicate his recent success against San Francisco. The Cardinals, who are currently 6.5 games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, have a power ranking of 13 with an offense ranked 24th and defense ranked 21st. In their last three matchups against St. Louis, San Francisco went 1-2.

Nolan Arenado's Absence Raises Concerns for Cardinals in National League Central Race

On Thursday, Nolan Arenado was absent from the series opener against the Giants due to a negative X-ray report on his left elbow, which was hit by a pitch in the previous game against the Marlins. Despite expressing his intention to make a comeback by Saturday, Arenado's presence is crucial for the Cardinals, who are currently competing in the National League Central. As of Friday afternoon, the Cardinals trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 6.5 games for the top spot. Following their 6-5 victory in the series opener at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., the action shifts back to St. Louis, where Sonny Gray has been delivering impressive performances for the Cardinals, who have emerged victorious in six out of their last nine games. Considering these factors, it is advisable to support the Cardinals in the upcoming games.

Sources: [ 1 ] [ 2 ]