The St. Louis Cardinals (44-41) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (41-44) on Thursday, July 4th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on BSMW. The Pirates are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cardinals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pirates. First pitch is set for 11:35 CT.
Cardinals vs. Pirates Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Pirates (+101)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 9 Runs
- The Pirates have won 5 of their last 10 games, showing a balanced recent performance.
- In the last 15 games, the Pirates have scored an average of 4.2 runs per game, indicating a solid offensive output.
- The Pirates have a recent head-to-head win against the Cardinals, winning 5-4 on July 3rd.
- The Pirates have a better home record (20-21) compared to the Cardinals’ away record (20-23), suggesting a home-field advantage.
- The Pirates have scored 5 or more runs in 6 of their last 15 games, demonstrating their potential for high-scoring games.
Cardinals vs Pirates
Pittsburgh picked up a 5-4 win over the Cardinals in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a two-run lead heading into the 8th inning, and the Cardinals could only muster one run in the 10th inning. Heading into the game, the Pirates were favored at -126 on the money line.
Both teams scored one run in the first inning, and the Cardinals didn’t score another run until putting up two in the 5th. As for the Pirates, they scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 5th, and both offenses went silent until the Cardinals’ late rally fell short.
Jared Jones got the start for the Pirates, going five innings and giving up just one run on four hits. He finished the game with five strikeouts but issued two walks. Aroldis Chapman got the win out of the bullpen, and Miles Mikolas had a rough outing for the Cardinals, taking the loss.
St. Louis is 44-41 overall and 2nd in the NL Central, seven games behind the Brewers. They have a 24-18 home record and are 20-23 on the road. The Cardinals are 6-4 in their last 10 games and 14-11-2 in series this season.
As underdogs, the Cardinals have a 28-16 run line record, and their average run margin in wins is +2.4. The over/under record in their games is 38-44, with the average total runs per game at 8.4. Today’s O/U line of 9 runs is higher than usual, as only 8.2% of their games have had totals of 9 or more.
Andre Pallante Gets The Start For The Cardinals
Right-hander Andre Pallante is on the mound for the Cardinals today as he faces the Pirates on the road. Pallante has made six starts this year and has a record of 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .262 this year, and he has a WHIP of 1.58. In his 15 appearances, Pallante has turned in just one quality start. His ERA on the road is 4.95, compared to 2.06 at home. Pallante’s most recent outing was a good one, as he didn’t allow a run in 5 1/3 innings of work, picking up the win in the process.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
St. Louis comes into the game with a team batting average of .240, which is 13th in the league. However, they are near the bottom of the league in scoring, averaging just 4 runs per game. This is also the 26th ranked scoring offense in the league. The Cardinals have been a little better at home this season, averaging 4.1 runs per game.
Over his last five games, Alec Burleson has gone just 4/18, but he does have two runs and an RBI in that stretch. For the season, he is batting .280 with 13 homers. Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman are also near the top of the team’s home run leaderboard, but Gorman is batting just .189 this season.
Currently, the Pirates are 41-44 and in 3rd place in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by 10 games. Their overall series record is 11-12-4, and they have a 5-5 record in their last 10 games. Pittsburgh’s run line record is 45-40, and they have covered the run line in 34 of 50 games as underdogs.
When the over/under line is set at 9, the Pirates have a 3-5-1 O/U record. The combined run average for their games this season is 8.5, and their overall O/U record is 40-44. Heading into today’s game, the Pirates are 20-21 at home.
Martín Pérez Gets The Start For The Pirates
Martín Pérez gets the start for the Pirates today and will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Braves. In that June 28th start, he took the loss, going 4 innings and giving up 6 earned runs. Looking back over his last three starts, Pérez has finished with a no-decision in two straight outings. He has made 12 starts this year and has a record of 1-4 with a 5.28 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .305 off Pérez this season. The left-hander has turned in three quality starts this year.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates are averaging 4 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.2 runs per game. Overall, the Pirates are batting just .228, and their team on-base percentage of .296 is also near the bottom of the league.
Bryan Reynolds has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 11/38 in his last nine games with two homers. For the season, he is batting .273 with a team-leading 47 RBIs. Reynolds also has 13 homers, which is 14th in the league. Oneil Cruz and Andrew McCutchen are also near the top of the Pirates’ home run leaderboard, with 12 homers apiece.
Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction
Getting the Pirates at +101 on the money line is a great value pick, with our predicted final score being 6-5 in favor of the Pirates. Looking at the starting pitchers, Martin Perez is projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is third-worst among all starters today.
As for Andre Pallante, he is projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is seventh worst among all starters. If you’re looking for a player prop bet, you could look at a Cardinals player to hit a home run, as our projections have them finishing ninth in the league in home runs today.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:July 4, 2024 Cardinals, Pirates