Starting Pitching Matchup

The Detroit Tigers did not have a starting pitcher announced at the time that this article was posted. Andre Pallante will get the start for the Cardinals here and is 4-2 with a 4.11 ERA and 32 strikeouts this season. This will be Pallante’s first career start against the Tigers.

Detroit Tigers Recap

The Detroit Tigers come into this game looking to build on their 5-4 win over the Cardinals from Tuesday’s matchup to improve to 32-17 this season. After this series, the Tigers will head home for a series against the division rival Guardians.

Tigers Looking For Some Consistency

Spencer Torkelson has 41 hits along with a .240 batting average, including a team-high 12 home runs, 12 doubles, and 38 RBIs. Kerry Carpenter also has 10 home runs and 22 RBIs, while Riley Greene has 53 hits with 10 doubles, 12 home runs, and 34 RBIs, but also has a team-high 57 strikeouts this season. Dillon Dingler has 4 home runs and 17 RBIs, and Zack McKinstry’s added 9 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 17 RBIs of his own along with 44 hits this season. Javier Baez had added 39 hits and 8 doubles as well as 6 home runs and 28 RBIs this season.

Why the Detroit Tigers will win

• The Cardinals have lost six of their last eight games as favorites against AL Central opponents.
• The Tigers have won seven of their last 10 games as underdogs against the Cardinals.
• The Tigers have covered the run line each of their last 12 Wednesday games against teams that held a winning record.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games as favorites against AL Central opponents.

Detroit Tigers Player Prop Facts

• Riley Greene has hit a home run in three of the Tigers’ last five games against the Cardinals.
• Spencer Torkelson has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Tigers’ last five day games.
• Zach McKinstry has recorded at least one Single in each of his last 12 appearances against opponents that held a winning record.
• Zach McKinstry has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 12 appearances against opponents that held a winning record.
• Matt Vierling has recorded a Double in five of his last six appearances in day games against NL teams that held a winning record.
• Parker Meadows has scored at least one run in each of his last four appearances against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• Riley Greene ranks T8th in the league in Home Runs (12) this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Recap

The St. Louis Cardinals come into this game looking to bounce back from their loss at the hands of the Tigers on Tuesday to slip to 27-22 on the year. After this series, the Cardinals will welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to town for a matchup.

Cardinals Alternate Wins & Losses In Four Straight

Brendan Donovan has a team-high 61 hits along with 16 doubles, 3 home runs, and 22 RBIs, while Lars Nootbaar has 48 hits with 7 home runs, 25 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases. Nolan Arenado also has 43 hits with 10 doubles, 5 home runs, and 21 RBIs of his own, and Victor Scott II has 40 hits with 8 doubles, a triple, 8 RBIs, and a team-high 13 stolen bases. Willson Contreras has also chipped in 45 hits with 6 home runs and 27 RBIs of his own this season.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last eight day games at Busch Stadium following a home loss.
• The Tigers have lost each of their last four games against NL Central opponents following a win.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in 15 of their last 16 games.
• The Tigers have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven games following a win.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Alec Burleson has hit a home run in three of his last six appearances against opponents that held a winning record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded a Double in each of the Cardinals’ last four games as favorites.
• Nolan Arenado has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Cardinals’ last six home games against AL opponents that held a winning record.
• Masyn Winn has scored at least one run in each of his last six home appearances against opponents that held a winning record.
• Nolan Arenado has recorded at least one Single in each of the Cardinals’ last nine day games against AL opponents that held a winning record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 11 games as favorites.
• Brendan Donovan ranks 3rd in the league in Hits (61) this season.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Tigers’ last five games against National League opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
• Each of the last five games between the Tigers and Cardinals at Busch Stadium have gone OVER the total runs line.

Cardinals vs Tigers Prediction

I’m on the Tigers here. I get the case to be made for the Cardinals, who have been one of the hottest teams in baseball this season, but the thing is that the Tigers continue to hit really well against right-handed pitching. Furthermore, I’m just not buying into Andre Pallante, and I think the Tigers get the job done in this one to pick up another series win. Still crazy that the Tigers have the best record in baseball, but here we are. Give me Detroit.

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The St. Louis Cardinals’ recent form and player performance

The Detroit Tigers’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Saint Louis Cardinals

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Detroit Tigers

Recent betting trends in games played between the Detroit Tigers vs Saint Louis Cardinals

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Detroit Tigers vs Saint Louis Cardinals game

St. Louis Cardinals Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals have a 27-21 record this season and are sitting in second place in the NL Central. The Cardinals have a 16-6 home record and are 25-22 in over/under. They are coming off an 11-4 home victory over the Tigers, and are 8-2 in their last 10 games. Under is 6-3 in their last 9 games, and are playing the Diamondbacks and the Orioles next.

The Cardinals have a .266 batting average this season, a .337 OBP, and a .409 Slugging percentage. Saint Louis’ pitching staff has a 3.68 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Brendan Donovan leads the Cardinals with 61 hits and a team-high .337 batting average, while Wilson Contreras leads the team in RBI, with 27.

Erick Fedde (R) will take the mound for the Cardinals, and he has a 3-3 record, 3.44 ERA, and 1.30 WHIP. He has been weaker at home with a 4.76 ERA in four home starts, but he is coming off back-to-back shutout starts, with zero earned runs across 14.2 innings pitched versus the Nationals and the Phillies. Erick Fedde has a 0-1 record with an ERA of 3.09 and 10 strikeouts in 2 appearances versus the Tigers in his career.

Detroit Tigers Preview

The Detroit Tigers have a 31-17 record this season and are sitting in first place in the AL Central. The Tigers have a 14-12 road record and are 24-19 in over/under. They are coming off a 4-11 road defeat by the Cardinals, and are now 5-2 in their last 7 games. Over is 6-2-2 in their last 9 games and are playing the Guardians and the Giants next.

The Tigers have a .260 batting average this season, a .332 OBP, and a .422 slugging percentage. Detroit’s pitching staff has a 3.36 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Riley Greene leads the Tigers with 50 hits, while Spencer Torkelson leads the team in RBI, with 38, adding a team-high 12 home runs.  Kerry Carpenter is the team’s best hitter with a .284 batting average.

Tarik Skubal (L) will take the mound for the Tigers, and he has a 4-2 record, 2.67 ERA, and 0.93 WHIP. He has been slightly weaker on the road with a 3.04 ERA across four road starts, and he is coming off his worst start of the season, where he gave up 5 runs in 6.1 innings pitched against the Red Sox. Tarik Skubal is 0-1 with an ERA of 7.71 and 17 strikeouts in 3 appearances against the Cardinals in his career.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last seven games as underdogs against AL Central opponents.
• The Tigers have lost seven of their last eight road games against teams that held a winning record.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last nine games as underdogs.
• The Tigers have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six games as favorites.
• The Tigers have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last four road games against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• The Cardinals have led after 5 innings in seven of their last eight games against the Tigers at Busch Stadium.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in three of their last four home games against AL Central opponents.

Why the Detroit Tigers will win

• The Tigers have won each of their last eight games as road favorites against National League opponents.
• The Cardinals have lost four of their last five night games against AL Central opponents following a home win.
• The Tigers have covered the run line in each of their last eight games as road favorites against National League opponents.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last three games against the Tigers following a win.
• The Tigers have won the first inning in three of their last four night games against opponents that held a winning record.
• The Tigers have led after 3 innings in each of their last four games as road favorites.
• The Tigers have led after 5 innings in seven of their last eight games as favorites against NL Central opponents.

Total Runs Facts

• Seven of the Cardinals’ last eight games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Each of the Tigers’ last five night games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cardinals’ last eight Tuesday games.
• The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in five of the Tigers’ last six night games.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Cardinals rank 2nd in the league for hits this season (437).
• The Cardinals rank 2nd in the league for doubles this season (96).
• The Tigers rank 29th in the league for steals this season (20).
• The Tigers rank 4th in the league for runs scored this season (257).

Tigers vs Cardinals Prediction

The Tigers are 7-4 in their last 11 overall meetings against the Cardinals, and both teams are tied 3-3 in their last 6 meetings in Saint Louis. Over is 5-2 in their last 7 meetings.

In this Tigers vs Cardinals Prediction, the Tigers are coming as -180 home favorites. The Tigers are rightfully favored, as they have a better overall record and are putting their ace on the mound for this game. The Tigers also have a better bullpen and a better batting average.

Skubal has struggled against Saint Louis bats historically, and Fedde is coming off two shutout starts. The Cardinals have been very strong at home and in extremely good form lately, so there is value with the home dog in this game. You can take the Cardinals at +0.5 runs on the first 5 innings for plus money, which offers extreme value. Take the St. Louis Cardinals a +0.5 runs in the F5 innings in this one.

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Detroit Tigers Betting Preview

The Detroit Tigers (31-16, 14-11 Away) bounced back from a series loss to the Rangers with a sweep of the Red Sox and a series win against the Blue Jays. In the most recent 3-2 victory in Toronto, Spencer Torkelson drove in all three runs, while Jackson Jobe got the win after allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks across 6.0 innings of work.

This season, the Tigers average 5.38 runs per game (4th in the MLB) on a .260/.333/.424 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Tigers’ staff has a 3.21 ERA (4th) and 1.16 WHIP (4th). Spencer Torkelson leads the Tigers with a .244 batting average, 12 home runs, and 38 RBI this season.

Keider Montero will take the mound for the Tigers on Monday. The 24-year-old right-hander has a 1-1 record in four starts this year with a 4.68 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 25.0 innings.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals (26-21, 15-6 Home) are in excellent form right now. They have won 12 of the previous 14 games and are on a seven-series winning streak. The Cards failed to sweep the Royals in the latest series, though, losing 2-1. Matthew Liberatore pitched for 6.0 innings in a no-decision, allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Chris Roycroft took the loss.

This year, the Cardinals average 4.77 runs per game (8th in the MLB) on a .262/.334/.404 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Cardinals’ staff has a 3.72 ERA (12th) and 1.22 WHIP (10th). Willson Contreras leads the Cardinals with a .249 batting average, six home runs, and 26 RBI this season.

The projected starting pitcher for the Cardinals is Sonny Gray, who is 4-1 in nine starts this season, with a 4.50 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 50.0 innings.

Why the Cardinals will beat the Tigers

• The Cardinals have won seven of their last eight games against AL Central opponents.
• The Tigers have lost each of their last four night games against NL Central opponents following a win.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in seven of their last eight games against teams that held a winning record.
• The Tigers have failed to cover the run line in each of their last five night games following a win.
• The Tigers have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last three road games against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.

Total Runs Facts

• Eight of the Tigers’ last 10 night games after playing the previous day have gone OVER the total runs line.
• Four of the Cardinals’ last five games against American League opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in eight of the Tigers’ last nine road games against NL Central opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in eight of the Cardinals’ last nine night games against AL Central opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Cardinals rank 29th in the league for strikeouts this season (330).
• The Cardinals rank 2nd in the league for home runs allowed this season (35).
• The Tigers rank 4th in the league for hits this season (418).
• The Tigers rank 4th in the league for RBIs this season (241).

Cardinals vs Tigers Prediction

The Tigers won seven of the previous ten H2H encounters, including four of the last six. I am backing the Cardinals in this one because of Sonny Gray and a favorable pitching matchup. Gray struggled in his last start against Philly, and I am sure he will bounce back on Monday. Sonny allowed a .177 BA in 62 at-bats against the Tigers. Keider Montero, on the other hand, allowed 3+ runs in three of his four starts this year. The Cards wills core 3+ off him in the opening five innings. Go with the Cardinals.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals (26-20, 11-14 Away) are going through their best period of the season, during which they won six straight series, and will add another one after defeating the Royals in the opening two games of this series. The Cards swept the Pirates and Nationals along the way and then secured 10-3 and 1-0 victories against the Royals. In last night’s 1-0 W, Miles Mikolas got the win after allowing no runs on two hits with four strikeouts and two walks across 6.0 innings of work.

This season, the Cardinals average 4.93 runs per game (6th in the MLB) on a .264/.338/.408 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Cardinals’ staff has a 3.83 ERA (12th) and 1.23 WHIP (11th). Lars Nootbaar leads the Cardinals with a .254 batting average, seven home runs, and 24 RBI this season.

Matthew Liberatore will take the mound for the Cardinals on Sunday. The 25-year-old left-hander has a 3-3 record in eight starts this year with a 3.11 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 46.1 innings.

Kansas City Royals Betting Preview

The Kansas City Royals (25-22, 16-9 Home) were on a good run of seven wins, but now they have lost six of the previous eight games. Following series losses to the Red Sox and Astros, the Royals fell to the Cardinals in the opening two games of the current series. Last night, Kansas City failed to score for the fifth time this year in a 1-0 defeat. Noah Cameron took the loss after allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 6.1 innings.

This year, the Royals average 3.41 runs per game (27th in the MLB) on a .242/.299/.363 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Royals’ staff has a 3.16 ERA (2nd) and 1.18 WHIP (8th). Vinnie Pasquantino leads the Royals with a .221 batting average, seven home runs, and 26 RBI this season.

The projected starting pitcher for the Royals is Michael Wacha, who is 3-4 in nine starts this season, with a 2.96 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 51.2 innings.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Cardinals’ last four road games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Five of the last six games between the Cardinals and Royals have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 14 of the Royals’ last 15 games.
• The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in six of the Cardinals’ last seven day games against American League opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Royals rank 29th in the league for walks this season (119).
• The Royals rank 2nd in the league for ERA this season (3.11).
• The Cardinals rank 3rd in the league for hits this season (409).
• The Cardinals rank T28th in the league for triples this season (1).

Royals vs Cardinals Prediction

The teams have traded victories in the past couple of years, each recording five in the previous ten H2H duels. The Cards won three of the last four and were better in Game 1 and Game 2 of this series. Seven of St. Louis’ last ten games went Under, which was the case in six of Kansas City’s previous ten games. Matthew Liberatore hasn’t allowed more than two runs in each of his last six starts, while Michael Wacha registered two shutouts in his previous four starts. The Royals are not great against southpaws this year; they have a .237 BA in 334 at-bats. Back the Under.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 25-20 on the year and play the Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Orioles next. The St. Louis Cardinals are batting .264 on the season, have a .338 OBP, and a .408 slugging percentage. The St. Louis Cardinals’ pitching staff has a 3.83 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Brendan Donovan leads the St. Louis Cardinals with 54 hits and 21 RBI, while Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras have combined for 88 hits and 50 RBI.

Miles Mikolas gets the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he is 2-2 with a 4.35 ERA and 23 strikeouts this season. Mikolas is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 22 strikeouts in his career against the Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City Royals Betting Preview

The Kansas City Royals are 25-21 on the year and play the Giants, Twins, and Reds next. The Kansas City Royals are batting .242 on the season, have a .299 OBP, and a .363 slugging percentage. The Kansas City Royals pitching staff has a 3.16 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Bobby Witt Jr. leads the Kansas City Royals with 56 hits and 25 RBI, while Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino have combined for 87 hits and 45 RBI.

Seth Lugo gets the ball for the Kansas City Royals, and he is 3-4 with a 3.02 ERA and 42 strikeouts this season. Lugo is 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA and 30 strikeouts in his career against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Why the Kansas City Royals will win

• The Cardinals have lost six of their last seven night games against AL Central opponents following a road win.
• The Royals have won six of their last seven games following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in six of their last seven night games against American League opponents following a road win.
• The Royals have covered the run line in five of their last six games against the Cardinals following a loss.
• The Cardinals have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four games against American League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Cardinals have trailed after 5 innings in four of their last five road games against American League opponents.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last six games as underdogs against AL Central opponents.
• The Royals have lost each of their last five games as home favorites against National League opponents following a loss.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last 12 games.
• The Royals have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine home games against National League opponents after playing the previous day.
• The Royals have trailed after 3 innings in four of their last five home games against National League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Royals have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last six Saturday games as home favorites.

Kansas City Royals Player Prop Facts

• Salvador Perez has hit a home run in three of the Royals’ last five games against the Cardinals.
• Maikel Garcia has recorded a Double in four of the Royals’ last five games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
• Kyle Isbel has scored at least one run in each of his last six appearances against the Cardinals.
• Salvador Perez has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last six appearances against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• Jonathan India has recorded at least one Single in 10 of his last 11 home appearances against the Cardinals after playing the previous day.
• Kyle Isbel has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with the Royals as home favorites.
• Bobby Witt Jr. ranks T2nd in the league in Steals (16) this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Miles Mikolas has recorded three or more strikeouts in each of his last eight appearances against AL Central opponents.
• Alec Burleson has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last four appearances in night games.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one Single in nine of the Cardinals’ last 10 games as underdogs against AL opponents.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 10 games as underdogs against AL opponents.
• Alec Burleson has hit a home run in three of his last four appearances in night games.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded a Double in each of the Cardinals’ last four games against the Royals.
• Masyn Winn has scored at least one run in each of his last six appearances against AL opponents.

Royals vs Cardinals Prediction

The Royals can’t string together an offense this week and have lost five of their last six games. So while Lugo has been great this season with a 3.02 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, it doesn’t matter if the Royals can’t score. The Cardinals have lost just one game since May 3 and are on fire offensively, which includes 24 runs in their last two games. Mikolas has been up and down this season, but he’s an all-star caliber pitcher who is capable of putting tougher a gem, as he shut out the Reds and Braves in two of his last four starts. We’ve backed the Cardinals a lot during this winning stretch, and we should continue as long as we keep getting plus money. Give me the Cards.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals (24-20, 9-14 Away) are playing their best baseball of the year. They won six consecutive series, including the sweeps of the Pirates and Nationals. The Cards won two of three games in the most recent series against the Phillies. In the rubber game on Wednesday, St. Louis won 14-7 and outhit Philadelphia 19-10. Alec Burleson led the team with four RBI, while Sonny Gray pitched for 3.2 innings in a no-decision, allowing seven runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Chris Roycroft was credited with the win.

This season, the Cardinals average 4.82 runs per game (7th in the MLB) on a .262/.338/.406 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Cardinals’ staff has a 3.85 ERA (13th) and 1.23 WHIP (11th). Willson Contreras leads the Cardinals with a .256 batting average, six home runs, and 25 RBI this season.

Andre Pallante will take the mound for the Cardinals on Friday. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 3-2 record in eight starts this year with a 4.36 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 43.1 innings.

Kansas City Royals Betting Preview

The Kansas City Royals (25-20, 16-7 Home) were on a seven-game winning streak, their longest of the season, but then lost four of the next five games, losing the series to the Red Sox and Astros along the way. In the latest 4-3 defeat to the Astros on the road, Maikel Garcia led the offense with two RBI, while Michael Lorenzen took the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk in 7.1 innings.

This year, the Royals average 3.42 runs per game (27th in the MLB) on a .242/.300/.360 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Royals’ staff has a 3.03 ERA (2nd) and 1.18 WHIP (7th). Vinnie Pasquantino leads the Royals with a .220 batting average, six home runs, and 25 RBI this season.

The projected starting pitcher for the Royals is Cole Ragans, who is 2-2 in eight starts this season, with a 4.20 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 40.2 innings.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Royals’ last four home games against NL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
• Four of the Cardinals’ last five games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 12 of the Royals’ last 13 games.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in six of the Cardinals’ last seven night games against AL Central opponents.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Royals rank 2nd in the league for ERA this season (3.03).
• The Royals rank 28th in the league for walks this season (117).
• The Cardinals rank 3rd in the league for hits this season (394).
• The Cardinals rank T28th in the league for triples this season (1).

Royals vs Cardinals Prediction

The Royals won six of the previous ten H2H encounters, including three of the last four. Cole Ragans is not having the best of seasons so far, which is the main reason I am going with Over in this one. Ragans allowed 13 runs in his last four starts and failed to register a quality start in each. Andre Pallante, on the other hand, allowed multiple runs in all but one game this season, so I expect the batters on each side to score 3+ runs off the starters here in the opening five innings. Go with Over.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 23-19 on the year and play the Royals, Tigers, and Diamondbacks next. The St. Louis Cardinals are batting .259 on the season, have a .336 OBP, and a .402 slugging percentage. The St. Louis Cardinals’ pitching staff has a 3.81 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Brendan Donovan leads the St. Louis Cardinals with 48 hits and 19 RBI, while Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras have combined for 79 hits and 45 RBI.

Erick Fedde and Sonny Gray will get the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies are 24-17 on the year and play the Pirates, Rockies, and Athletics next. The Philadelphia Phillies are batting .257 on the season, have a .335 OBP, and a .400 slugging percentage. The Philadelphia Phillies’ pitching staff has a 3.75 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Trea Turner leads the Philadelphia Phillies with 49 hits and 14 RBI, while Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber have combined for 84 hits and 53 RBI.

Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola will get the ball for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Why the Philadelphia Phillies will win

• The Phillies have won each of their last 13 home games against National League opponents following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have lost each of their last six day games against the Phillies following a win.
• The Phillies have covered the run line in each of their last four home games against the Cardinals following a loss.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in 16 of their last 19 road games against the Phillies following a win.
• The Phillies have won the first inning in three of their last four day games at Citizens Bank Park.
• The Phillies have led after 3 innings in four of their last five home day games.
• The Phillies have led after 5 innings in five of their last six day games against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last nine games.
• The Phillies have lost seven of their last 10 games as home favorites on the first leg of a doubleheader.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last nine games.
• The Phillies have failed to cover the run line in 11 of their last 13 games as home favorites on the first leg of a doubleheader.
• The Cardinals have led after 5 innings in each of their last seven Wednesday games as underdogs.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in five of their last six games as road underdogs against National League opponents.
• The Cardinals have led after 3 innings in five of their last six road games against NL East opponents.

Philadelphia Phillies Player Prop Facts

• Kyle Schwarber has hit a home run in four of the Phillies’ last seven games as home favorites.
• Bryce Harper has recorded at least one Double in four of his last five home appearances against the Cardinals after not playing the previous day.
• J.T. Realmuto has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last seven Wednesday appearances at Citizens Bank Park.
• Kyle Schwarber has scored a run in nine of the Phillies’ last 10 home games against opponents that held a winning record.
• Jesus Luzardo has recorded six or more strikeouts in eight of his last nine appearances with his team as a home favorite against NL opponents.
• Trea Turner has recorded at least one Single in each of the Phillies’ last eight games against NL opponents that held a winning record.
• Nick Castellanos has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with his team as a home favorite against the Cardinals.
• Kyle Schwarber ranks T1st in the league in Home Runs (14) this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Willson Contreras has hit a home run in two of the Cardinals’ last three games as road underdogs.
• Erick Fedde has recorded a win in three of his last four appearances against NL East opponents.
• Masyn Winn has recorded at least one RBI in five of his last six road appearances after not playing the previous day.
• Masyn Winn has scored at least one run in seven of his last eight road appearances after not playing the previous day.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one Single in nine of the Cardinals’ last 10 games as underdogs against NL East opponents.
• Erick Fedde has recorded five or more strikeouts in five of his last six appearances in day games against teams that held a winning record.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 11 games as underdogs against NL East opponents.
• Victor Scott II ranks T7th in the league in Steals (11) this season.

Phillies vs Cardinals Prediction

Game 1 Prediction: The Phillies should be given the edge with Luzardo on the mound, but I have to lean toward the Cardinals and their nine-game winning streak. I’ve been riding with the Cards a lot over the last week, and it hasn’t run cold yet. Also, while Luzardo is dealing right now, Fedde has allowed 12 hits and three runs in his last 14 innings. Fedde has also posted a 3.00 ERA and .198 allowed batting average in 24 road innings. Give me the hot Cardinals.

Game 2 Prediction: Another spot where the Phillies are probably going to be favored, given the name on the mound. However, Nola hasn’t looked like himself this season, with a 4.89 ERA and .266 allowed batting average. In 17.1 home innings, Nola has a 4.67 ERA and a .290 allowed batting average. Gray has been sharper, with his 3.50 ERA and .229 allowed batting average. Also, the Cardinals haven’t lost since May 2. I’m going to roll with the Cardinals again until this hot streak runs cold.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 23-19 on the year and play the Royals, Tigers, and Diamondbacks next. The St. Louis Cardinals are batting .259 on the season, have a .336 OBP, and a .402 slugging percentage. The St. Louis Cardinals’ pitching staff has a 3.81 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Brendan Donovan leads the St. Louis Cardinals with 48 hits and 19 RBI, while Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras have combined for 79 hits and 45 RBI.

Sonny Gray gets the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he is 4-1 with a 3.50 ERA and 47 strikeouts this season. Gray is 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA and 42 strikeouts in his career against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies are 24-17 on the year and play the Pirates, Rockies, and Athletics next. The Philadelphia Phillies are batting .257 on the season, have a .335 OBP, and a .400 slugging percentage. The Philadelphia Phillies’ pitching staff has a 3.75 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Trea Turner leads the Philadelphia Phillies with 49 hits and 14 RBI, while Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber have combined for 84 hits and 53 RBI.

Jesus Luzardo gets the ball for the Philadelphia Phillies, and he is 3-0 with a 2.11 ERA and 51 strikeouts this season. Luzardo is 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA and 13 strikeouts in his career against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Why the Philadelphia Phillies will win

• The Phillies have won each of their last 13 home games against National League opponents following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have lost nine of their last 10 games against the Phillies following a road win.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight night games against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park following a win.
• The Phillies have covered the run line in each of their last four home games against the Cardinals following a loss.
• The Phillies have led after 5 innings in 11 of their last 14 night games against the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last nine games.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last nine games.
• The Phillies have failed to cover the run line in four of their last five games at Citizens Bank Park.
• The Cardinals have led after 5 innings in four of their last five games.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in five of their last six games as road underdogs against National League opponents.
• The Cardinals have led after 3 innings in five of their last six road games against NL East opponents.

Philadelphia Phillies Player Prop Facts

• Nick Castellanos has recorded a Double in three of the Phillies’ last four night games against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• Kyle Schwarber has hit a home run in four of the Phillies’ last seven games as home favorites.
• J.T. Realmuto has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last four home appearances after playing the previous day.
• Kyle Schwarber has scored a run in nine of the Phillies’ last 10 home games against opponents that held a winning record.
• Jesus Luzardo has recorded six or more strikeouts in eight of his last nine appearances with his team as a home favorite against NL opponents.
• Trea Turner has recorded at least one Single in each of the Phillies’ last eight games against NL opponents that held a winning record.
• Nick Castellanos has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with his team as a home favorite against the Cardinals.
• Kyle Schwarber ranks T1st in the league in Home Runs (14) this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Willson Contreras has hit a home run in two of the Cardinals’ last three games as road underdogs.
• Willson Contreras has recorded a Double in three of his last four appearances against the Phillies after playing the previous day.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one RBI in four of the Cardinals’ last five games as underdogs against NL East opponents.
• Masyn Winn has scored at least one run in 10 of his last 11 appearances in night games against NL teams that held a winning record.
• Sonny Gray has recorded six or more strikeouts in each of his last nine road appearances against opponents that held a winning record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one Single in nine of his last 10 appearances in night games against NL East teams that held a winning record.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 11 games as underdogs against NL East opponents.
• Sonny Gray ranks T10th in the league for Wins (4) this season.

Phillies vs Cardinals Prediction

The Phillies are getting the benefit of the doubt because they’re at home and stacked as a title contender. Luzardo has also been great this season, allowing 11 earned runs in 47 innings while striking out 51. With that said, the Cardinals have won nine straight games and have allowed no more than two runs in their last six games. Gray has been dealing in his own right, posting a 3.50 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Gray just gave the Pirates seven shutout innings. Until this hot stretch cools off, you have to keep rolling with the Cardinals and the more favorable price. We hit on them last night. Let’s go with the Cards yet again.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 22-19 on the year and play the Royals, Tigers, and Diamondbacks next. The St. Louis Cardinals are batting .261 on the season, have a .338 OBP, and a .403 slugging percentage. The St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff has a 3.85 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. Brendan Donovan leads the St. Louis Cardinals with 48 hits and 19 RBI, while Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado have combined for 76 hits and 39 RBI.

Matthew Liberatore gets the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he is 3-3 with a 3.07 ERA and 38 strikeouts this season. Liberatore is 1-0 with a 2.76 ERA and 20 strikeouts in his career against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies are 24-16 on the year and play the Pirates, Rockies, and Athletics next. The Philadelphia Phillies are batting .257 on the season, have a .336 OBP, and a .403 slugging percentage. The Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff has a 3.76 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Trea Turner leads the Philadelphia Phillies with 48 hits and 14 RBI while Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber have combined for 81 hits and 53 RBI.

Cristopher Sanchez gets the ball for the Philadelphia Phillies, and he is 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA and 44 strikeouts this season. Sanchez is 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA and 10 strikeouts in his career against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Why the Philadelphia Phillies will win

• The Cardinals have lost each of their last nine games against the Phillies following a road win.
• The Phillies have won 10 of their last 11 home games against NL Central opponents following a road win.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven night games against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park following a win.
• The Phillies have covered the run line in eight of their last nine home games against NL Central opponents following a road win.
• The Phillies have won the first inning in three of their last four home games against opponents that held a winning record.
• The Phillies have led after 5 innings in six of their last seven games against the Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.
• The Cardinals have trailed after 3 innings in five of their last six games at Citizens Bank Park against National League opponents that held a winning record.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last eight games.
• The Phillies have lost each of their last four games as favorites against NL Central opponents following a win.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last eight games.
• The Phillies have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four games as favorites against NL Central opponents following a win.
• The Cardinals have led after 5 innings in each of their last four games.
• The Cardinals have led after 3 innings in each of their last five road games against NL East opponents.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in each of their last five games as road underdogs against National League opponents.

Philadelphia Phillies Player Prop Facts

• Nick Castellanos has recorded a Double in four of the Phillies’ last five games against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• Bryce Harper has recorded at least one RBI in five of his last six home appearances against the Cardinals after playing the previous day.
• Trea Turner has scored at least one run in 10 of the Phillies’ last 11 home games.
• Trea Turner has recorded at least one Single in each of the Phillies’ last seven games against NL opponents that held a winning record.
• Max Kepler has hit a home run in each of the Phillies’ last two night games against NL opponents that held a winning record.
• Brandon Marsh has recorded at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 home appearances against NL Central opponents.
• Kyle Schwarber ranks T1st in the league in Home Runs (14) this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Willson Contreras has hit a home run in each of the Cardinals’ last two games as road underdogs.
• Nolan Arenado has recorded a Double in three of the Cardinals’ last four games as road underdogs against NL East opponents.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Cardinals’ last four games as underdogs against NL East opponents.
• Masyn Winn has scored at least one run in nine of his last 10 appearances in night games against NL teams that held a winning record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one Single in each of his last nine appearances in night games against NL East teams that held a winning record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 appearances in night games against NL East teams that held a winning record.
• Victor Scott II ranks T6th in the league in Steals (11) this season.

Phillies vs Cardinals Prediction

The Phillies are going to be favored for obvious reasons, as they’re simply the better team across the board and Sanchez is an all-star pitcher who has allowed 11 earned runs in his last 32 innings. I get it. However, we’re getting 1.5 times our money with a Cardinals team that’s won eight straight games and has a pitching staff that’s dealing. Liberatore is one of those pitchers, as he’s allowed 19 hits and six earned runs in his last 28.2 innings. The Cardinals haven’t lost a game in 10 days. I’ll take a stab with the hottest team in baseball at this price.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The Cardinals kicked things off this season by sweeping the Minnesota Twins, then lost to the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates in the next three sets. Series wins over the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros came next, prior to a sweep by the Mets and a set loss to the Braves. The Cardinals then took out Milwaukee in a series and tied Cincinnati. After winning two of three versus the Mets last weekend, St. Louis really got rolling this past week with a sweep over the Pirates. On Friday in their weekend series opener versus the Nationals, St. Louis posted three runs in the eighth inning alone on the way to a blowout shutout 10-0. Wilson Contreras led the offense with three RBI, two hits, and a run. Erick Fedde posted the complete game effort with 9.0 innings, six hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts.

In the Saturday game, the Cardinals scored all their runs in the second inning on the way to a 4-2 victory. Lars Nootbaar put up two RBI, and Alec Burleson had a pair of hits. Starter Andre Pallante put up 7.1 innings with two earned runs on five hits alongside seven strikeouts and no walks.

As a starter for the Sunday finale, the Cardinals are sending out Miles Mikolas. This year, Mikolas is 1-2 with a 4.76 ERA in seven starts over 34.0 innings. Mikolas is 65-66 with a 4.17 ERA in 217 games (189 starts).

Why the Washington Nationals will win

• The Cardinals have lost seven of their last eight day games against National League opponents following a road win.
• The Nationals have won each of their last eight Sunday games as home favorites against National League opponents.
• The favorites have covered the run line in each of the Nationals’ last four games.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in four of their last five games as underdogs after playing the previous day.
• The Nationals have led after 5 innings in each of their last six games as home favorites against National League opponents.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last seven games.
• The Nationals have lost four of their last five games as favorites against NL Central opponents following a loss.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last seven games.
• The Nationals have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games as home favorites against NL Central opponents following a loss.
• The Nationals have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last five home games against National League opponents.
• The Nationals have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five home games against National League opponents.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in each of their last four games as road underdogs against National League opponents.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Nationals’ last six day games against NL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Six of the Cardinals’ last seven games as underdogs against NL East opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in seven of the Nationals’ last eight games as favorites.
• The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cardinals’ last four games as road underdogs.

Washington Nationals Betting Preview

Over on the Nationals’ side, they kicked off the year by falling in a set to the Philadelphia Phillies and then taking a sweep courtesy of the Toronto Blue Jays. Washington would bag victories in two of three over the Diamondbacks and Dodgers in the next pair of series, then lost in the next pair versus the Miami Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Nationals beat the Rockies and Orioles in the next two series, then split with the Mets ahead of defeats in two of three against the Phillies. Washington split their first two weekend games versus the Reds, then won on Sunday to take another series. The Nats split their Tuesday doubleheader against Cleveland, then lost 8-6 in the Wednesday finale. On Friday, Washington couldn’t solve Fedde and came up with just six team hits. CJ Abrams had half of those hits, and starter Mitchell Parker went 4.0 innings with four earned on seven hits and two walks.

In game two, the Nats got their only RBI from Dylan Crews and a home run. Trevor Williams went 6.0 frames in the starting role with four earned runs on seven hits and a walk.

Starter for Sunday will be MacKenzie Gore. This year, Gore is 2-3 with a 3.33 ERA in eight starts across 46.0 innings. Gore is 23-29 with a 4.11 ERA in 83 games (80 starts) overall during his MLB career.

Nationals vs Cardinals Prediction

I’ll lean toward the Cardinals. Mikolas was a bit shaky in his last start on May 5 versus the Pirates, though, posting three earned runs on four hits and three walks in 5.0 innings during a no-decision. That said, Mikolas went 1-0 over his first pair with a combined zero earned runs in 11.1 innings on nine hits and two walks. As for Gore, he’s done pretty well over his last trio as well, even though he’s just 0-1 in that time. Gore has a combined 17.0 innings in those three with six earned runs on 13 hits and five walks total.

St. Louis had one big inning Saturday, and the pitching staff took care of the rest. I’d like to see a more spread-out offensive effort in the finale, but the Cards should be set up well.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 20-19 on the year and play the Phillies, Royals, and Tigers next. The St. Louis Cardinals are batting .262 on the season, have a .337 OBP, and a .402 slugging percentage. The St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff has a 3.97 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Brendan Donovan leads the St. Louis Cardinals with 47 hits and 19 RBI, while Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado have combined for 72 hits and 36 RBI.

Andre Pallante gets the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he is 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA and 21 strikeouts this season. Pallante is 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA and 9 strikeouts in his career against the Washington Nationals.

Washington Nationals Betting Preview

The Washington Nationals are 17-22 on the year and play the Braves, Orioles, and Braves next. The Washington Nationals are batting .241 on the season, have a .311 OBP, and a .382 slugging percentage. The Washington Nationals pitching staff has a 5.47 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. James Wood leads the Washington Nationals with 42 hits and 23 RBI, while Keibert Ruiz and Nathaniel Lowe have combined for 73 hits and 42 RBI.

Trevor Williams gets the ball for the Washington Nationals, and he is 2-3 with a 5.86 ERA and 30 strikeouts this season. Williams is 5-6 with a 4.93 ERA and 82 strikeouts in his career against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Why the Washington Nationals will win

• The Cardinals have lost seven of their last eight games as road favorites after playing the previous day.
• The Nationals have won four of their last five games as home underdogs against National League opponents following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in 12 of their last 13 games as favorites following a road win.
• The Nationals have covered the run line in six of their last seven games against National League opponents following a home loss.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last six games.
• The Nationals have lost each of their last four home games against NL Central opponents.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last six games.
• The Nationals have failed to cover the run line in four of their last five games at Nationals Park.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in five of their last six road games against National League opponents.
• The Nationals have trailed after 5 innings in eight of their last nine games as underdogs against National League opponents.
• The Nationals have trailed after 3 innings in eight of their last nine games as underdogs against National League opponents.

Washington Nationals Player Prop Facts

• Josh Bell has hit a home run in each of his last two appearances against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• Trevor Williams has recorded a win in three of his last four home appearances against NL opponents.
• Josh Bell has recorded at least one RBI in five of his last six home appearances against NL Central opponents that held a winning record.
• Josh Bell has scored at least one run in eight of his last nine appearances in day games against NL teams that held a winning record.
• CJ Abrams has recorded at least one Single in nine of the Nationals’ last 10 games as underdogs against NL opponents.
• Trevor Williams has recorded four or more strikeouts in each of his last nine home appearances.
• CJ Abrams has recorded at least one hit in each of the Nationals’ last 11 games against NL opponents that held a winning record.
• James Wood ranks T7th in the league in Home Runs (10) this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Willson Contreras has hit a home run in five of his last seven appearances with the Cardinals as favorites against the Nationals.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Cardinals’ last four games against NL East opponents.
• Willson Contreras has scored at least one run in each of his last seven appearances with the Cardinals as favorites against the Nationals.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one Single in each of the Cardinals’ last nine games against NL East opponents.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 10 games against NL East opponents.
• Victor Scott II ranks T6th in the league in Steals (11) this season.

Nationals vs Cardinals Prediction

The Cardinals are rolling with six straight wins and a pitching staff that’s produced back-to-back shutouts and allowed a combined one run in their last three games. The Nationals pitching staff has bee getting rocked during this losing stretch, and Williams has played a role in those struggles. Through 35.1 innings, Williams has a 5.86 ERA and .317 allowed batting average. It’s not much better at home in 15.1 innings, as Williams has a 5.28 ERA and .271 allowed batting average.

Pallante has had his issues on the season, especially on the road, where he has a 5.66 ERA and .289 allowed batting average in 20.2 innings. However, the Cardinals are arguably the hottest team in baseball this week. I’ll trust that and lay the cheap price with the road team.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The Cardinals opened up their season with a sweep over the Minnesota Twins, then took losses versus the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates in the next three series. Set wins over the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros came next before a sweep by the Mets and a series loss to the Braves. The Cards would then beat Milwaukee in a series and tie Cincinnati. After winning two of three versus the Mets last weekend, St. Louis beat the Pirates 6-3 Monday and 2-1 Tuesday. In the game two victory, the Cardinals’ Alec Burleson contributed both RBIs on a 1-for-3 day. Matthew Liberatore logged 7.0 innings with one earned run on three hits and three walks in the starting role.

In the Wednesday finale, the Cardinals kept it rolling with a nice 5-0 shutout victory. St. Louis’ Masyn Winn posted two hits with two RBI, while Jordan Walker had two RBI of his own. Lars Nootbaar had three hits with a run and an RBI. Starter Sonny Gray was great on 7.0 innings, two hits, one earned, and eight strikeouts.

As a starter for the Friday game, St. Louis is sending out Erick Fedde. This year, over his seven starts, Fedde is 2-3 with a 4.78 ERA in 37.2 innings total. Fedde is 32-45 with a 4.81 ERA in 140 games (126 starts) total.

Washington Nationals Betting Preview

Over on the Nationals’ side, they opened up the 2025 season by losing in a series to the Philadelphia Phillies and facing a sweep courtesy of the Toronto Blue Jays. Washington would take victories in two of three over the Diamondbacks and Dodgers in the ensuing pair of series, then fall in the next pair versus the Miami Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Nationals took out the Rockies and Orioles in the next two sets, then split with the Mets ahead of defeats in two of three against the Phillies. Washington split their first two weekend games versus the Reds, then won on Sunday to take another series. The Nats split their Tuesday doubleheader with the Guardians as well.

In the Wednesday finale versus Cleveland, Washington coughed up all eight runs in the sixth inning along the way to an 8-6 defeat. Starting pitcher Michael Soroka lasted 5.0 frames with four earned runs on five hits and two walks.

As the starting pitcher for Friday, the Nationals will roll out Mitchell Parker. So far this year, Parker is 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA in seven starts across 41.1 innings of work. Parker is 10-12 with a 4.12 ERA in 36 starts over his MLB career.

Why the Washington Nationals will win

• The Nationals have won nine of their last 10 night games against National League opponents following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have lost seven of their last eight road games following a win.
• The Nationals have covered the run line in each of their last 10 night games against National League opponents following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in 11 of their last 13 night games against NL East opponents that held a losing record.
• The Nationals have led after 5 innings in seven of their last eight night games at Nationals Park against National League opponents.
• The Nationals have led after 3 innings in eight of their last nine home night games.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last five games.
• The Nationals have lost each of their last three home games against NL Central opponents.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in eight of their last nine night games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
• The Nationals have failed to cover the run line in six of their last seven night games against the Cardinals at Nationals Park following a loss.
• The Nationals have trailed after 3 innings in four of their last five night games against National League opponents.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in four of their last five road games against National League opponents.
• The Nationals have trailed after 5 innings in four of their last five night games against National League opponents.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Cardinals’ last five night games against NL East opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
• Each of the Nationals’ last five home games have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 10 of the last 11 night games between the Cardinals and Nationals.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in eight of the Cardinals’ last nine night games against NL East opponents.

Nationals vs Cardinals Prediction

I’ll lean toward St. Louis here, but it’s going to depend on how Fedde looks in the starting role. Fedde has one rough outing in his last trio: 5.2 innings with seven earned on 10 hits and two walks in a defeat versus Milwaukee. In the other pair, however, he’s looking much better. Fedde is 1-0 in those two with 11.0 innings combined for five earned runs on 11 hits and eight walks. Another quality start on Friday would go a long way toward buoying St. Louis’ chances. As for Parker, he’s struggled in his last two starts, giving up 11 earned runs on 11 hits and 11 walks in 9.0 innings, going 0-1 in that pair. Parker posted a win over Baltimore on April 22, though, notching 8.0 clean frames with one hit and two walks.

The Cardinals are hot right now, coming off a sweep of the Pirates and holding a five-game win streak in total. St. Louis has five or more runs in four of those games, so if the bats keep it up, there shouldn’t be too many issues Friday.

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St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 18-19 this year, and they have won the first two games in this series by scores of 6-3 and 2-1. In their game two win, St. Louis trailed 1-0 in the sixth, but they scored two in the bottom half of the inning for the win. The Cardinals recorded four hits in the game, and they were led by Burleson, who went 1-3 with two RBIs in the win. St. Louis started Liberatore, who allowed three hits and one earned run over 7.0 innings in the win, while Matz and Graceffo finished the last two innings. 

Prior to this series, the Cardinals won two out of three against the Mets and split four games with the Reds. St. Louis has won four games in a row, and they are currently fourth in the NL Central standings. The St. Louis pitching staff has a 4.19 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP and a .243 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 169 runs with a .258 batting average and a .333 on-base percentage this season. Lars Nootbaar has led St. Louis with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and four stolen bases, while Wilson Contreras has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for St. Louis is Sonny Gray, who is 3-1 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 39.1 innings pitched this year. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 12-25 this season after they lost game two by a score of 2-1. Pittsburgh was able to score the first run in the game in the sixth inning, but they couldn’t find any more offense in the loss. The Pirates recorded four hits in the game, and they were led by Hayes, who went 2-4 with one RBI in the loss. Pittsburgh started Skenes, who allowed three hits and two earned runs over 6.0 innings in the loss, while Santana and Bednar threw two scoreless innings in relief. 

Prior to this series, the Pirates lost all three against the Padres and two out of three against the Cubs. Pittsburgh has lost nine of its last ten games, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.28 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and a .242 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 118 runs with a .221 batting average and a .304 on-base percentage this season. Oneil Cruz has led Pittsburgh with eight home runs and 18 RBIs, while Bryan Reynolds has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Mitch Keller, who is 1-3 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 39.0 innings pitched this season. 

Why the Cardinals will beat the Pirates

• The Pirates have lost each of their last six games.
• The Cardinals have won each of their last eight Wednesday home games.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line each of their last seven games at Busch Stadium against teams that held a losing record.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in nine of their last 10 home games against the Pirates.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in five of their last six day games.
• The Pirates have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four games as road underdogs against NL Central opponents.

Why the Pirates will beat the Cardinals

• The underdogs have won five of the last six games between the Pirates and Cardinals.
• The Cardinals have lost seven of their last eight day games against National League opponents following a win.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven day games following a win.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last six Wednesday games.
• The Pirates have led after 5 innings in three of their last four games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
• The Cardinals have lost the first inning in six of their last eight day games at Busch Stadium.

Total Runs Facts

• Fourteen of the Pirates’ last 16 day games against NL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Six of the Cardinals’ last seven games have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 11 of the Cardinals’ last 12 games as home favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 11 of the Pirates’ last 12 games at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Willson Contreras has hit a home run in two of his last three appearances with the Cardinals as home favorites against the Pirates.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded a Double in four of the Cardinals’ last five home games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one RBI in four of the Cardinals’ last five games as home favorites against NL Central opponents.
• Willson Contreras has scored a run in each of his last five home appearances against the Pirates.
• Sonny Gray has recorded seven or more strikeouts in each of his last five home appearances against the Pirates.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one Single in each of his last eight Wednesday day appearances against teams that held a losing record.
• Nolan Arenado has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last eight games as home favorites.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in three of the Pirates’ last five games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Mitch Keller has recorded a win in four of his last five appearances with the Pirates as road underdogs against NL Central opponents.
• Tommy Pham has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last seven Wednesday day appearances against teams that held a losing record.
• Adam Frazier has recorded at least one Single in each of the Pirates’ last seven games as road underdogs.
• Oneil Cruz has scored at least one run in seven of his last eight road appearances after playing the previous day.
• Mitch Keller has recorded five or more strikeouts in nine of his last 11 appearances with the Pirates as underdogs against NL Central opponents.
• Bryan Reynolds has recorded a hit in each of the Pirates’ last 11 games as road underdogs against the Cardinals.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one Double in three of his last four appearances at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 

St. Louis has won four games in a row coming into this contest, and they will look for the series sweep here. The Cardinals are 14-6 at home this year, while the Pirates are 5-13 on the road. Pittsburgh desperately needs to find some offense, but they will be going against Gray, who has been solid this year but has allowed 10 earned runs in his last three starts. The Cardinals have scored at least five runs in three of their last four games, and they will face Keller, who has allowed 3+ earned runs in two of his last four starts. I think we could see some scoring in this game, and I like the over here. 

Read the rest of "Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 5/7/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 17-19 this year after they won game one by a score of 6-3 on Monday night. St. Louis trailed 3-2 in the fourth inning, but they scored four runs in the sixth to escape with the win. The Cardinals recorded 11 hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Barrero, who went 2-4 with one home run and three RBIs in the win. St. Louis started Mikolas, who allowed four hits and three earned runs over 5.0 innings, while Graceffo picked up the win in relief. 

Prior to this series, the Cardinals won two out of three against the Mets and split four games with the Reds. St. Louis has won five of their last seven games, and they are currently fourth in the NL Central standings. The St. Louis pitching staff has a 4.28 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and a .246 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 167 runs with a .261 batting average and a .335 on-base percentage this season. Lars Nootbaar has led St. Louis with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and four stolen bases, while Wilson Contreras has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for St. Louis is Matthew Liberatore, who is 2-3 with a 3.44 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP over 34.0 innings pitched this year. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 12-24 this season after they dropped game one in this series on Monday night. Pittsburgh led 2-0 in the first inning and 3-2 in the fourth, but their pitching had some issues in the sixth, which led to the loss. The Pirates recorded seven hits in the game, and they were led by Reynolds, who went 1-5 with one home run and two RBIs in the loss. Pittsburgh started Mlodzinski, who allowed four hits and two earned runs over 4.2 innings, while Shugart allowed five hits and four earned runs, without recording an out, for the loss. 

Prior to this series, the Pirates lost all three games against the Padres and two out of three against the Cubs. Pittsburgh has lost eight of its last nine games, and they are currently last in the NL Central standings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 4.33 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and a .244 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 117 runs with a .223 batting average and a .306 on-base percentage this season. Oneil Cruz has led Pittsburgh with eight home runs and 18 RBIs, while Bryan Reynolds has added five home runs and 19 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Paul Skenes, who is 3-3 with a 2.74 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP over 42.2 innings pitched this season. 

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Alec Burleson has hit a home run in each of the Cardinals’ last two games against NL opponents.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded a Double in each of the Cardinals’ last four home games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one RBI in seven of his last eight appearances with the Cardinals as home underdogs against NL opponents.
• Masyn Winn has scored at least one run in each of his last four appearances with the Cardinals as underdogs.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one Single in each of the Cardinals’ last seven games against NL opponents that held a losing record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one hit in each of his 19 previous home appearances against the Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in three of the Pirates’ last four games against opponents that held a losing record.
• Oneil Cruz has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Pirates’ last four games as favorites against NL opponents.
• Oneil Cruz has scored at least one run in 10 of the Pirates’ last 11 night games.
• Adam Frazier has recorded at least one Single in each of his last seven road appearances after playing the previous day.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one hit in 14 of his last 15 appearances with his team as a road favorite.
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa has recorded at least one Double in three of his last four appearances at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 

Pittsburgh comes into this contest desperately trying to snap their losing streak, but they have played very poorly over the last two weeks. The Pirates are 5-12 on the road this year, while the Cardinals are 13-6 at home. St. Louis has won three games in a row, and they have scored 17 runs in those three wins. The Pirates have the advantage with Skenes on the mound, but Liberatore has been very good in his last four outings. Pittsburgh is really skidding right now, so I like the Cardinals and the plus money here. 

Read the rest of "Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 5/6/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

Before we dive into the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals game let’s review the rules for the FanDuel single game showdown contest.

FanDuel Single Game Contest Rules

Here are the FanDuel single game contest rules. You have $60,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team MVP. The MVP accumulates 1.5x times the standard FanDuel fantasy points value. Additionally, the MVP is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining five players in your lineup will be flex plays. The five flex positions will receive the standard FanDuel points value. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your MVP position if you hope to win a large field GPP (guaranteed prize pool) FanDuel single game contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game contest, I highly recommend that you check out the FanDuel website for more details.

*It should be noted that FanDuel does not utilize the pitcher position in single game MLB contests. Having stated that, only batters are available for single game MLB lineups on the FanDuel platform.

Here are my FanDuel picks for this evening’s Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals matchup.

FanDuel MLB Player Selections

MVP-Victor Scott II, Outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals $9,600

On Monday night, Major League Baseball presents the opening game of a three-game National League series featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals.

How are these two teams playing entering tonight’s MLB game? The St. Louis Cardinals arrive at the first game of this three-game National league series with the Pittsburgh Pirates playing rather good baseball. The Cardinals have won four of the team’s last six games played in the 2025 MLB regular season, including a 9-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds last week.

In direct contrast to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been playing below average baseball recently. More specifically, the Pirates have lost six of the team’s last eight games played this season, including a 9-4 loss to the San Diego Padres three days ago.

Now that we have ascertained how both of these Major League Baseball teams are currently playing let’s shift our focus to this evening’s contest. Talented outfielder Victor Scott II has certainly been playing quality baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals this season. Let’s examine Scott II’s recent game data to better shed light on my previous statement.

In the 24 games that Victor Scott II has played for the St. Louis Cardinals this season, Scott II has compiled a .290 batting average, 30 hits, 15 RBIs (runs batted in), two home runs, 12 walks, a .356 OBS (On-Base Percentage) and 16 runs scored. Clearly, Victor Scott II is swinging the bat at a high-level entering tonight’s MLB game.

More recently, in the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0 shutout win over the Cincinnati Reds earlier this month, St. Louis outfielder Victor Scott II played exceptionally well. In the Cardinals victory over the Reds, Scott II amassed two hits, three RBIs, one run scored, one home run, one walk and one stolen base. It should also be mentioned that in the Cardinals defeat of the Reds, Scott II tallied a massive 37.7 FanDuel points.

In my opinion, Victor Scott II is the most likely player to accumulate the most FanDuel points in this MLB game. With that said, I am backing St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II at the MVP position for this one game MLB DFS slate.

Flex plays I like in this game (FanDuel price noted): Brendan Donovan, Third Baseman (St. Louis Cardinals) $11,200: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Third Baseman (Pittsburgh Pirates) $7,200: Alec Burleson, Outfielder (St. Louis Cardinals) $3,800.

Read the rest of "FanDuel Best MLB DFS Picks: Pirates vs. Cardinals 5/5/25" at Sports Chat Place

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pirates opened up the 2025 campaign with a string of series losses, falling to the Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees in succession. Pittsburgh got a set win over the St. Louis Cardinals, then got swept by the Reds ahead of a series victory over the Nationals. Following a sweep by Cleveland, the Pirates beat the Angels in two of three and lost a seat against the Dodgers. Pittsburgh lost two of three against the Cubs last week, then fell to the Padres 9-4 on Friday. In Saturday’s game two, Pittsburgh lost another one, this time 2-1. Starting pitcher Bailey Falter had a nice outing, though, logging 7.0 innings with one earned run on two hits and two walks alongside six Ks. Oneil Cruz had the lone RBI (and four walks) with a hit, totaling a 1-for-1 day.

On Sunday, the Pirates gave up all four runs in the first inning along the way to a 4-0 shutout defeat. Joey Bart, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Tommy Pham, and Matt Gorski each had two hits but couldn’t do much with them. Starter Andrew Heaney left after 3.2 innings, four earned, eight hits, and four walks.

In the starter slot for Monday, the Pirates are going with Carmen Mlodzinski. This year, Mlodzinski is 1-3 with a 6.58 ERA in six starts and 26.0 innings total. Mlodzinski is 9-11 with a 3.75 ERA in 81 career games (11 starts).

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

Over on the Cardinals’ side, they swept the Minnesota Twins in their first series of the season, then lost sets versus the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Series wins over the Phillies and Astros came next, then a sweep by the Mets and a set loss to the Braves. St. Louis would win two of three versus the Brewers and split a four-game set versus the Reds. After a 9-3 loss to the Mets on Friday, in game two, the Cards had a rainout, which resulted in a doubleheader on Sunday.

On Sunday, St. Louis took a 6-5 victory in game one thanks to Willson Contreras’ three hits, three RBI, and a homer. In the nightcap, the Cardinals eked out another win, this time 5-4.

As a starter for Monday’s matchup, the Cardinals are sending out Miles Mikolas. This year, Mikolas is 1-2 with a 4.66 ERA in six starts over 29.0 total frames. Mikolas is 65-66 with a 4.17 ERA in 216 career games (188 starts).

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Pirates have lost seven of their last eight games.
• The Cardinals have won five of their last six home games against the Pirates.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine night games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in seven of their last eight home games against the Pirates.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in three of their last four games against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have trailed after 3 innings in five of their last six road games against National League opponents.
• The Pirates have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last six games against NL Central opponents.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Pirates have won each of their last seven games against the Cardinals following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have lost nine of their last 11 games as favorites against the Pirates following a win.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six games as favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last five games as underdogs against the Cardinals following a home loss.
• The Pirates have led after 3 innings in four of their last five games.
• The Pirates have led after 5 innings in three of their last four games against National League opponents that held a losing record.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Cardinals’ last five games have gone OVER the total runs line.
• Nine of the Pirates’ last 11 road games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 11 games as home favorites against NL Central opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Pirates’ last 10 games at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction

I’ll lean toward the Cardinals. St. Louis should be in pretty good shape with Mikolas on the mound—if he can maintain form, that is. Mikolas took a no-decision versus the Mets back on April 18 with 4.2 innings, two earned, five hits, and two walks. In his two starts since then, however, Mikolas is 1-0 with a combined 11.1 innings, nine hits, two walks, and zero earned runs. He should do pretty well here if all goes according to plan. As for Mlodzinski, he gave up five earned runs on nine hits and two walks in a loss versus Cleveland on April 18. In his two outings combined since then, however, Mlodzinski has five earned runs in 9.0 innings on 11 hits and two walks total.

St. Louis posted a good showing on Sunday to finish off the Mets in their pair of doubleheader wins, but it was close in both cases. Still, that makes four wins in the last six games for the Cards, with five or more runs scored in each of those victories. St. Louis needs to keep it going with the bats on Monday.

Read the rest of "Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 5/5/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

New York Mets Betting Preview

The New York Mets (22-11, 9-8 Away) failed to win the last two series; they split with the Nationals and lost to the Diamondbacks. However, the Mets did open this series against the Cardinals with a 9-3 victory. Francisco Alvarez led the offense with three RBI, while Clay Holmes got the win after allowing three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and no walks over 6.0 innings of work.

This season, the Mets average 4.82 runs per game (10th in the MLB) on a .250/.329/.424 slash line. Regarding pitching, the Mets’ staff has a 2.69 ERA (1st) and 1.21 WHIP (10th). Pete Alonso leads the Mets with a .345 batting average, eight home runs, and 30 RBI this season.

The projected starting pitcher for the Mets is Blade Tidwell, who will get his first start in the MLB on his debut in the majors.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals (14-19, 10-6 Home) beat the Brewers and split the series with the Reds before losing the opening game of the current series against the Mets. The Cards had a 3-2 lead until the 5th inning, when the Mets scored five runs and deservedly secured the win. Sonny Gray took the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits with six strikeouts and three walks in 4.1 innings.

This year, the Cardinals average 4.55 runs per game (11th in the MLB) on a .256/.329/.395 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Cardinals’ staff has a 4.31 ERA (21st) and 1.26 WHIP (14th). Lars Nootbaar leads the Cardinals with a .254 batting average, five home runs, and 18 RBI this season.

Erick Fedde will take the mound for the Cardinals on Sunday. The 32-year-old right-hander has a 1-3 record in six starts this year with a 4.68 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 32.2 innings.

Total Runs Facts

• Five of the Cardinals’ last six home games against NL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Four of the Mets’ last five games as favorites against National League opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cardinals’ last six games as underdogs against National League opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in four of the Mets’ last five games.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Cardinals are one of only four teams in the league to rank top 10 in both strikeouts and on-base percentage this season.
• The Cardinals rank 27th in the league for strikeouts this season (229).
• The Mets rank 2nd in the league for triples this season (8).
• The Mets rank 2nd in the league for runs allowed this season (101).

Cardinals vs Mets Prediction

The Mets won nine of the previous ten H2H encounters and already have a 5-0 lead in this year’s series. The Mets will start rookie Tidwell, who hasn’t pitched yet in the majors. That is a chance for the Cards to score multiple runs off an inexperienced pitcher, but the Mets will also have an opportunity to score multiple runs off Fedde, who doesn’t have good numbers against them. Fedde allowed a .330 BA in 112 at-bats against the Mets. I am going with Over here.

Read the rest of "Cardinals vs Mets Prediction 5/4/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 14-19 this year after they lost game one by a score of 9-3. St. Louis led 1-0 in the first inning and 3-2 in the third, but they couldn’t score any runs in the final six innings in the loss. The Cardinals recorded nine hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Winn and Contreras, who both had one RBI in the loss. St. Louis started Gray, who allowed nine hits and four earned runs over 4.1 innings in the loss, while King, Munoz, and Helsley all allowed one earned run in relief. 

Prior to this series, the Cardinals split four games with the Reds and won two out of three against the Brewers before that. St. Louis has lost four of their last six games, and they are currently fourth in the NL Central standings. The St. Louis pitching staff has a 4.31 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP and a .244 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 150 runs with a .256 batting average and a .329 on-base percentage this season. Lars Nootbaar has led St. Louis with five home runs, 18 RBIs, and four stolen bases, while Brendan Donovan has added three home runs and 17 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for St. Louis is Erick Fedde, who is 1-3 with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP over 32.2 innings pitched this year. 

New York Mets Betting Preview

The New York Mets are 22-11 this season after they won game one by a score of 9-3 on Friday night. New York was down 3-2 in the third, but they scored the last seven runs in the game to pull away with the win. The Mets recorded 17 hits and they committed one error in the game, while they were led by Alvarez, who went 3-5 with three RBIs in the win. New York started Holmes, who allowed eight hits and three earned runs over 6.0 innings for the win, while Butto and Stanek fired three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. 

Prior to this series, the Mets lost two out of three against the Diamondbacks and split four games with the Nationals. New York has split their last six games, and they are currently first in the NL East standings. The New York pitching staff has a 2.69 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP and a .231 opponent batting average, while the offense has scored 159 runs with a .250 batting average and a .329 on-base percentage this season. Pete Alonso has led New York with eight home runs and 30 RBIs, while Brandon Nimmo has added seven home runs and 22 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for New York is Tylor Megill, who is 3-2 with a 1.74 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP over 31.0 innings pitched this season. 

Why the Mets will beat the Cardinals

• The Mets have won each of their last nine games against the Cardinals.
• The Cardinals have lost each of their last seven games against the Mets following a loss.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six games after playing the previous day.
• The Mets have covered the run line in eight of their last nine games against the Cardinals.
• The Mets have led after 5 innings in seven of their last eight games against the Cardinals.
• The Mets have led after 3 innings in each of their last five day games against opponents that held a losing record.

Total Runs Facts

• Nine of the Cardinals’ last 10 day games against NL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Four of the Mets’ last five games as favorites have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cardinals’ last six games as underdogs.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in nine of the Mets’ last 11 day games.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Willson Contreras has hit a home run in three of his last six home appearances against NL East opponents.
• Masyn Winn has recorded a Double in three of his last four appearances against the Mets after playing the previous day.
• Willson Contreras has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last four home appearances against NL opponents that held a winning record.
• Masyn Winn has scored at least one run in each of his last seven home appearances against NL opponents that held a winning record.
• Masyn Winn has recorded at least one Single in each of his last eight home appearances against NL opponents that held a winning record.
• Erick Fedde has recorded five or more strikeouts in each of his last five appearances in day games against teams that held a winning record.
• Brendan Donovan has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 15 home games against NL opponents.

New York Mets Player Prop Facts

• Jeff McNeil has recorded at least one Double in four of his last five appearances with the Mets as road favorites against the Cardinals.
• Pete Alonso has hit a home run in four of the Mets’ last five games at Busch Stadium against opponents that held a losing record.
• Juan Soto has recorded at least one RBI in seven of his last eight appearances in day games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Jeff McNeil has recorded at least one Single in each of the Mets’ last seven games at Busch Stadium.
• Pete Alonso has scored at least one run in eight of the Mets’ last nine road games.
• Tylor Megill has recorded five or more strikeouts in each of his last five appearances in day games against teams that held a losing record.
• Jeff McNeil has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 road appearances against the Cardinals after playing the previous day.

Cardinals vs Mets Prediction 

New York comes into this contest with one of the best records in the MLB to start the season, but they are just 9-8 on the road this year. The Mets have scored at least eight runs in three of their last five games, and they have one of the best team ERA in the MLB. St. Louis is 10-6 at home, but their pitching staff has allowed nine runs in back-to-back games. New York has the starting pitcher advantage in this matchup, as Megill has been dominant, so I will take the Mets -1.5 here. 

Read the rest of "Cardinals vs Mets Prediction 5/3/25 MLB Picks Today" at Sports Chat Place

Before we dive into the New York Mets vs. St. Louis Cardinals game let’s review the rules for the FanDuel single game showdown contest.

FanDuel Single Game Contest Rules

Here are the FanDuel single game contest rules. You have $60,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team MVP. The MVP accumulates 1.5x times the standard FanDuel fantasy points value. Additionally, the MVP is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining five players in your lineup will be flex plays. The five flex positions will receive the standard FanDuel points value. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your MVP position if you hope to win a large field GPP (guaranteed prize pool) FanDuel single game contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game contest, I highly recommend that you check out the FanDuel website for more details.

*It should be noted that FanDuel does not utilize the pitcher position in single game MLB contests. Having stated that, only batters are available for single game MLB lineups on the FanDuel platform.

Here are my FanDuel picks for this evening’s New York Mets vs. St. Louis Cardinals matchup.

FanDuel MLB Player Selections

MVP-Juan Soto, Outfielder, New York Mets $12,600

On Friday night, Major League Baseball presents the opening game of a three-game National League series featuring New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals.

How are these two teams playing entering tonight’s MLB game? The New York Mets arrive at the first game of this three-game National league series with the St. Louis Cardinals playing rather good baseball. The Mets have won ten of the team’s last 14 games played in the 2025 MLB regular season, including a 2-0 shutout win over the Washington Nationals last week.

Similar to the New York Mets, the St. Louis Cardinals have been playing decent baseball recently. More specifically, the Cardinals have won four of the team’s last six games played this season, including a 6-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds three days ago.

Now that we have determined how both of these Major League Baseball teams are currently playing let’s shift our focus to this evening’s contest. New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto has certainly been playing quality baseball for the New York Mets this season. Let’s examine Soto’s recent game data to better shed light on my previous statement.

In 32 games that Juan Soto has played for the New York Mets this season, Soto has compiled a .252 batting average, 29 hits, 14 RBIs (runs batted in), 18 walks, a .379 OBS (On-Base Percentage) and 23 runs scored. Clearly, Juan Soto is swinging the bat at a high-level entering tonight’s MLB game.

Last night, in the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 win over the New York Mets, New York outfielder Juan Soto played exceptionally well. In the Diamondbacks victory over the Mets, Soto amassed two hits, one RBI, two runs scored and two home runs. It should also be mentioned that in the Diamondbacks defeat of the Mets, Soto tallied a massive 40.4 FanDuel points.

In my view, Juan Soto is the most likely player to accumulate the most FanDuel points in this MLB game. With that said, I am rolling with New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto at the MVP position for this one game MLB DFS slate.

Flex plays I like in this game (FanDuel price noted): Francisco Lindor, Shortstop (New York Mets) $13,600: Masyn Winn, Shortstop (St. Louis Cardinals) $7,200: Jesse Winker, Outfielder (New York Mets) $6,000.

Read the rest of "FanDuel Best MLB DFS Picks: Mets vs. Cardinals 5/2/25" at Sports Chat Place

The Saint Louis Cardinals’ recent form and player performance

The New York Mets’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Saint Louis Cardinals

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the New York Mets

Recent betting trends in games played between the New York Mets vs Saint Louis Cardinals

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the New York Mets vs Saint Louis Cardinals game

Saint Louis Cardinals Preview

The Saint Louis Cardinals have a 14-18 record this season and are sitting in 4^th place in the NL Central. The Cardinals have a 10-5 home record and are 17-14 in over/under. They are coming off a 1-9 road defeat by the Cincinnati Reds, ending their previous two-game winning streak. They are playing the Pirates and the Nationals next. The Cardinals have a .256 batting average this season, a .330 OBP, and a .397 Slugging percentage. Saint Louis’ pitching staff has a 4.22 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. Brendan Donovan leads the Cardinals with 39 hits and a team-high .333 batting average. Lars Nootbaar leads the team in RBI, with 18, adding a team-high 5 home runs.

Sonny Gray (R) will take the mound for the Cardinals, and he has a 3-0 record, 3.60 ERA, and 1.00 WHIP. He has been struggling lately, coming off back-to-back games with 3 earned runs in 6 innings pitched. In his previous start against the Mets this season, he gave up 3 runs in 6 innings of work, as the Cardinals lost 4-7.

New York Mets Preview

The New York Mets have a 21-11 record this season and are sitting in first place in the NL East. The Mets have an 8-8 road record and are 11-20 in over/under. They are coming off a 2-4 home defeat by the Dbacks, losing their second game in a row. They are playing the Diamondbacks and the Cubs next. The Mets have a .244 batting average this season, a .323 OBP, and a .415 slugging percentage. New York’s pitching staff has a 2.68 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.  Pete Alonso leads the Mets with 38 hits, adding a team-high .342 batting average, 28 RBI, and 7 home runs.

Clay Holmes (R) will take the mound for the Mets, and he has a 3-1 record, 2.64 ERA, and 1.27 WHIP. He has been much better on the road with a 1.86 ERA. He has been looking sharp lately, with just two earned runs in 16 innings pitched across three starts. In his previous start against the Cardinals this season, he gave up one run in 6 innings of work, as the Mets won 7-4.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cardinals have won each of their last seven games as home underdogs following a loss.
• The Mets have lost each of their last three games as road favorites against NL Central opponents following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in each of their last seven games as home underdogs following a loss.
• The Mets have failed to cover the run line in four of their last five night games against teams that held a losing record.
• The Mets have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last three night games against opponents that held a losing record.
• The Cardinals have led after 5 innings in five of their last six home games against National League opponents that held a winning record.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in four of their last five games as underdogs against National League opponents.

Why the New York Mets will win

• The Mets have won each of their last eight games against the Cardinals.
• The Cardinals have lost each of their last seven night games against the Mets following a loss.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last seven night games against the Mets at Busch Stadium following a loss.
• The Mets have covered the run line in each of their last six night games against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium following a loss.
• The Mets have led after 5 innings in each of their last six night games against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
• The Mets have won the first inning in three of their last four night games at Busch Stadium.
• The Mets have led after 3 innings in seven of their last eight road games against National League opponents that held a losing record.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Cardinals’ last five home games against NL East opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Nine of the Mets’ last 12 road games against National League opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in 15 of the Cardinals’ last 16 night games at Busch Stadium.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in seven of the Mets’ last eight games.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Cardinals rank T2nd in the league for doubles this season (63).
• The Cardinals rank T28th in the league for triples this season (1).
• The Mets rank 1st in the league for ERA this season (2.68).
• The Mets rank 1st in the league for strikeouts this season (303).

Mets vs Cardinals Prediction

The Mets have won all four meetings against the Cardinals this season, with an overall score of 19-9. The Mets are 8-0 in their last 8 overall meetings against the Cardinals and under is 5-3 in their last 8 meetings.

In this Mets vs Cardinals Prediction, the Mets are coming as -120 road favorites. The Mets are rightfully favored, as they have been one of the best teams in baseball this season, but they have been mediocre on the road. Both teams are looking to bounce back after their latest defeats, and Holmes has been looking much better than Gray so far. The Mets’ bullpen is also superior to the Cardinals, so the edge here goes to the road team. Take the New York Mets on the moneyline on the road.

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