The Pittsburgh Pirates (24-37) and St. Louis Cardinals (37-27) wrap up a 4-game series at Busch Stadium Wednesday at 7:45 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the Pirates vs. Cardinals odds with MLB picks and predictions.
Season series: St. Louis leads 8-1
The Pirates were swept in a Tuesday doubleheader at Busch and have lost 6 in a row to the Redbirds. The Pirates tote a 9-game losing streak into this series finale. They have slashed a mere .190/.236/.309 (.545 OPS) during the stretch.
St. Louis pitching has led the way in the Cardinals going 5-1 over their last 6 games. Over that span, the Redbirds have registered a tidy 2.83 ERA.
Pirates at Cardinals projected starters
RHP Roansy Contreras vs. RHP Jack Flaherty
The rookie Contreras (1-1, 2.57 ERA) has clocked a 1.18 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9 and 10.6 K/9 through 28 IP in 7 games (4 starts).
- Owns a 2.21 ERA over his last 20 1/3 IP – all 4 of his starts since May 24
- Appeared in just 1 game last season, tossing 3 scoreless innings in his MLB debut during a home start vs. the Chicago Cubs Sept. 29
Flaherty is coming off the 60-day IL (shoulder) to make his 2022 debut. He went 9-2 with 3.22 ERA in 78 1/3 IP last season. He has a 3.34 career ERA across 5 MLB seasons.
- Has held current Pittsburgh batters to a whiff-heavy .457 OPS
- Notched a 2.61 ERA at Busch Stadium over 2020-21
- Coming off 2 rehab efforts at Triple-A, and threw only 58 pitches in his most recent outing.
Pirates at Cardinals odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:02 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Pirates +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Cardinals -180 (bet $180 to win $100)
- Run line (RL): Pirates +1.5 (-140) | Cardinals -1.5 (+115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 8.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
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Pirates at Cardinals picks and predictions
Prediction
Pirates 5, Cardinals 4
Money line
Contreras has been sharp and that’s been alongside a .357 batting average on balls in play. The Cards are a right-leaning lineup that does not do much damage against that side.
With Flaherty being a return-from-injury question mark and the back end of the St. Louis pen being on a pretty substantial fatigue watch, TAKE PITTSBURGH (+145).
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Run line/Against the spread
Same calculus as above, although both teams play few 1-run affairs. STEER CLEAR, but Pittsburgh +1.5 is worth a look at -140.
Over/Under
Mixed signals: PASS.
Pittsburgh is the 3rd-best Under team in the majors, posting a 23-32-6 O/U record. The Houston Astros are 1st at 19-43, just ahead of the Detroit Tigers’ 21-38-2 O/U mark. The Pirates are 12-16-3 O/U on the road.
St. Louis is 32-29-3 O/U, including an MLB 3rd-best 19-12-2 O/U mark at home. The Atlanta Braves’ 20-12-2 home O/U and the Cincinnati Reds’ 18-11 O/U at home rank 1st and 2nd, respectively.
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