The St. Louis Cardinals (77-81) visit the Pittsburgh Pirates (80-78) Thursday for a 12:35 p.m. ET first pitch at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Let's analyze MLB odds around the Cardinals vs. Pirates odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Cardinals lead 7-5
After a 2-0 loss to the Pirates Tuesday, St. Louis got back in the win column Wednesday with a 5-1 victory, covering as a +114 road underdog with the Under (7.5) hitting. Four Cardinals players had a RBI, with all 5 runs coming in the third and fourth inning.
Pittsburgh's 5-game winning streak ended with Wednesday's loss as a -138 home favorite. A homer off the bat of 2B Brandon Lowe was the only offense generated as the team went 1 of 7 with runners
in scoring position.
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Cardinals at Pirates projected starters
RHP Kyle Leahy vs. RHP Paul Skenes
Leahy (10-5, 3.65 ERA) makes his 30th start. He has a 1.34 WHIP, 2.7 BB/9 and 8.4 K/9 in 138 innings.
- Last start: Loss, 3 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 1 K in a 9-1 home loss vs. Washington Nationals Friday
- Career vs. Pirates: 2-0, 2.12 ERA (17 IP, 4 ER), 1.35 WHIP, 13.2 K/9 in 9 appearances (2 starts)
Skenes (10-11, 3.91 ERA) makes his 32nd start. He has a 1.13 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9 and 10.3 K/9 in 168 innings.
- Last start: No-decision, 6 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 7 K in an 8-5 home victory vs. Kansas City Royals Friday
- Career vs. Cardinals: 0-5, 2.74 ERA (42 2/3 IP, 13 ER), 0.96 WHIP, 10.5 K/9 in 7 starts
Cardinals at Pirates odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 11:03 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Cardinals +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Pirates -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Cardinals +1.5 (-180) | Pirates -1.5 (+145)
- Over/Under (O/U): 7 (O: +100 | U: -120)
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Cardinals at Pirates picks and predictions
Prediction
Pirates 3, Cardinals 2
Moneyline
BET PIRATES (-160).
The Pirates have won 5 of their last 6 games, all at home. With Skenes on the mound, the home team has a great chance to continue their trek to finish the season above .500. The 6-6' righty has allowed 2 or fewer ER in 2 of his last 3 starts, while walking just 1 batter in each of his last 3 outings.
For the Cardinals, Leahy has allowed at least 5 ER in 2 of his last 3 starts and has not lasted longer than 4 innings in each of his last 5 outings. The Cardinals have dropped 5 of their last 7.
Run line/Against the spread
PASS.
The moneyline has the best value in this matchup.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 7 (-120).
Both Skenes and Leahy, while shaky at times, have had solid stretches throughout the season. Both pitchers are coming off rough outings and will be looking to course correct in their final outings of the season.
The Cardinals have scored 3 or fewer runs in 5 of their last 9, while allowing 3 or fewer runs in each of their last 3.
The Pirates have scored 3 runs combined through the first two games in this series, while scoring 4 or fewer runs in 8 of their last 11.
Betting odds calculator
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates odds, picks and predictions
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