The Pittsburgh Pirates (17-23) visit the St. Louis Cardinals (23-18) for a two-game series at Busch Stadium. Tuesday’s first pitch is slated for 7:45 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook‘s lines around the Pirates vs. Cardinals odds with MLB picks and predictions.
Season series: Cardinals lead 3-0 – they swept a three-game series in Pittsburgh April 30-May 2.
The NL Central rivals both had Monday off after returning from the West Coast. The Bucs are coming off a four-game split at the San Francisco Giants, while the Cardinals were swept in three at the San Diego Padres.
RHP JT Brubaker is projected to start for the Pirates Tuesday. Brubaker, who made his MLB debut last July, is 3-2 with a 2.58 ERA (38 1/3 IP, 11 ER), 1.12 WHIP, 9.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 7 starts this season.
- Last outing: Win, 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K in 7-2 home victory vs. Cincinnati Reds May 11
- Career vs. Pirates: 0-1, 3.86 ERA (7 IP, 3 ER), 10 H, 0 BB, 11 K in 1 start and 1 relief appearance
RHP John Gant is the Cardinals’ projected starter. The six-year veteran is 2-3 with a 1.83 ERA (34 1/3 IP, 7 ER), 1.63 WHIP, 7.6 K/9 and 7.1 BB/9 in 7 starts. He is tied for the MLB lead with 27 walks.
- Last outing: No-decision, 5 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K at Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday – the Cardinals lost 4-1
- Career vs. Pirates: 4-2, 3.93 ERA (34 1/3 IP, 15 ER), 1.34 WHIP, 7.9 K/9 in 5 starts and 12 relief appearances
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Pirates at Cardinals odds, lines, picks and prediction
MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 7:05 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Pirates +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Cardinals -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Pirates +1.5 (-175) | Cardinals -1.5 (+145)
- Over/Under: 7.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Prediction
Cardinals 5, Pirates 2
Money line (ML)
ST. LOUIS (-140) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1½ times your usual wager. The Cardinals, who must be happy to return home after dropping three straight at the Padres, have had the Pirates’ number recently. They are 23-9 vs. the Pirates over the last three seasons: 3-0 this year, 6-4 in 2020 and 14-5 in 2019.
The Pirates rank last in runs scored per game (3.45), and they’ve hit the fewest home runs (26) among all 30 major-league teams.
These projected starters faced off April 30 in Pittsburgh with Gant coming out on top 7-3. Gant scattered 3 hits and 5 walks in allowing just 1 earned run with 2 strikeouts in 5 innings. Brubaker yielded 3 earned runs on 7 hits with 0 walks and 7 K’s over 5 innings in taking the loss.
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Run line/Against the spread (ATS)
ST. LOUIS -1.5 (+145) is worth a HALF-UNIT wager. The Cardinals are the third-best team when it comes to covering the run line. They beat the Pirates by scores of 7-3, 12-5 and 3-0 in the three games at Pittsburgh earlier this season.
ATS records: Pirates 19-21 | Cardinals 25-16
Over/Under (O/U)
Back UNDER 7.5 (-105) to win a QUARTER UNIT. The Under is 1-6 in Gant’s 7 starts, while it’s 2-4 when Brubaker takes the hill.
The fear is the Cardinals are on a 3-0 Over run, and two of the three games in the earlier meeting in Pittsburgh cashed Over tickets.
O/U records: Pirates 17-21-2 | Cardinals 19-18-3
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Bet on this game now at BetMGM Sportsbook. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
| JOHNNY’S RECORD | W-L | SP | ROI |
| 2021 MLB | 42-45-2 | 12-15-1 | -7.695 |
| 2020 MLB | 80-59-1 | 39-21 | +24.79 |
| 2021 (all sports) | 145-130-3 | 61-56-1 | +5.855 |
| *–SP: Strongest plays; ROI: Return on investment | |||
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