The forecast from St. Louis on Wednesday calls for scattered clouds and temperatures in the low 90s. First pitch from Busch Stadium is set for 7:45 PM ET. Jake Woodford is starting for the Pirates, and he is facing off against Sonny Gray for the Cardinals. St. Louis is the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -202, while the Pirates are +168 underdogs. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs.
The Cardinals are looking to make it three wins in a row, as they are 76-75 and in 3rd place in the NL Central. The Pirates are 71-80 and have lost two straight. SN PT is carrying this game on TV.
Pirates Struggle as Underdogs, Face Uphill Battle Against Cardinals
The Pirates are 71-80 overall and 16 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They are 2.5 games behind the Reds for the 4th spot in the division. Pittsburgh is 37-52 as the underdog this year and have lost three straight as the underdog. Their overall series record is 20-21-6, and they are losing this series vs. the Cardinals 0-2.
Pittsburgh is 38-40 at home this year compared to 33-40 on the road. The Pirates are 16-18 when the over/under line is set at 8 runs. The over has hit in each of their last four games. Jake Woodford is 0-6 this year with an 8.01 ERA. He has an ERA of 11.74 at home and will be facing a Pirates offense that is 22nd in runs per game at 4.2. Bryan Reynolds is hitting .280 with 22 home runs and 85 RBIs this year.
Sonny Gray Shines at Home as Cardinals Battle for NL Central Position
Sonny Gray is 13-9 this season and has a 3.75 ERA. He has 13 quality starts this year and is averaging 10.92 strikeouts per nine innings. Gray has given up 21 homers this season and is 9-5 with a 2.74 ERA at home. The Cardinals have a 76-75 record this year and are 3rd in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by 11 games. St. Louis is 25-25 against the NL Central and 41-35 at home. They are 36-35 as the favorite and 40-40 as the underdog. St. Louis has won two straight games and are 5-5 across their last 10.
St. Louis is 11-17-1 when the over/under line is set at 8 runs this season. The over/under record for the season is 70-77, and the average line for their games is 8 runs. The under has hit in three straight games for the Cardinals. Overall, they are 76-75 on the run line and 52-28 as the underdog. The Cardinals are 25th in scoring, putting up 4.1 runs per game. Their team batting average is .245, which is 10th in the league. Alec Burleson leads the team in home runs and RBI, and Brendan Donovan is hitting .333 over his last 8 games. Jordan Walker is on a 4-game hitting streak.
Cardinals Poised for Home Victory: Bet on the Over and Watch Woodford Shine
Our prediction for this Pirates vs. Cardinals matchup is to take the Cardinals to pick up the win at home. However, given the money line payout for the Cardinals is -202, we recommend taking the over on the game line, with the over/under sitting at 8 runs.
If you’re looking for a starting pitcher to have a big game, we have Sonny Gray finishing with six strikeouts, which would have him with the 10th most among starters today. As for Jake Woodford, he is projected to finish with seven K’s, which would have him with the second most among starters.
