An epic NL Central showdown between a pair of bitter rivals has arrived as the St. Louis Cardinals clash with the Milwaukee Brewers on the diamond! Join us for our MLB odds series where our Cardinals-Brewers prediction and pick will be revealed. 

After getting blasted by a score of 7-1 to the Brewers, there is no question that the Cardinals were left with a bad taste in their mouths. With the recent loss, the ‘Cards have fallen to last place in the NL Central with a 15-22 record and are in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Furthermore, St. Louis is already seven games back of the Brewers for first place. Can righty Kyle Gibson answer the call from the mound and help the Cardinals return to the win column?

Meanwhile, the Brewers statement win over the Cardinals on Thursday further illustrates just how serious this team wants to be taken as a contender as the season continues to progress. Although they are only 8-7 overall at home, Milwaukee is more than happy to be at home in front of their fans after partaking in a six-game road trip. With wins in two of their last three, the Brewers will call upon RHP Freddy Peralta who is 3-1 with a solid 3.49 ERA.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Cardinals-Brewers Odds

St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-156)

Moneyline: +136

Milwaukee Brewers: -1.5 (+130)

Moneyline: -162

Over: 7.5 (-115)

Under: (-105)

How to Watch Cardinals vs. Brewers

Time: 7:15 ET/4:15 PT

TV: MLB.TV

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win

Things have gotten ugly in the city that is called “The Gateway of the West”. After an abysmal season last year, the Cardinals must put a stop to their recent losing ways before things get too out of control.

In order to snap a lengthy losing streak and begin to start heading back in a positive direction, starting pitcher Kyle Gibson will have to be sharp from start to finish. All together, Gibson hasn't been top-notch this season, but he does boast a respectable 3.68 ERA despite an even 2-2 record up to this point. With how porous the pitching has been this season, relying on Gibson to string together a stellar start might be a main priority.

Of course, maybe the Cardinals last place finish in 2023 was no fluke whatsoever. If the Red Birds are going to prove that theory wrong, they will need to figure out an offense that has been horrendous to say the least. For a team that boasts more than a few big names in their lineup, the unfortunate news of Willson Contreras fracturing his arm only adds salt to the wound. Believe it or not, but Contreras led the club with six home runs before being As it stands, the ‘Cards rank 28th in slugging percentage and batting average and cannot afford to be be this poor from this dish in this one.

Why The Brewers Will Cover The Spread/Win

Above all else, the Brewers have been known in previous years for their elite pitching prowess that could strike down any hitting lineup, but Milwaukee is beginning to reverse this trend with some powerful pop from inside the batter's box. Believe it or not, Milwaukee happens to be ranked within the top ten of runs scored while also owning the third-best slugging and on-base percentage. Truth be told, the Brewers bats cannot be slept on, and if Kyle Gibson isn't on his A game for the Cardinals, then St. Louis may end up finding themselves in some deep trouble.

To further stamp the Brewers' case in why they will cover the spread against their division arch-rivals, it appears that Freddy Peralta could be in line for another masterful performance against the Cardinals. Last time he squared off against St. Louis, it was Peralta that went bonkers on his way to throwing six shutout innings back on April 19th. Even though it was the Brewers that went down in defeat, Peralta's seven strikeouts and only two walks issued may give him a good amount of confidence for this Saturday tilt.

One X-Factor for the Brew Crew that may come into play will be their aggressiveness on the base paths. At the moment, the Brewers are extremely pesky when reaching base and have already stolen a total of 49 bases in just 57 attempts which serves as the third-best mark in the majors. If Milwaukee can swipe some bags early and often, then that will only increase the pressure felt upon the St. Louis arms.

Final Cardinals-Brewers Prediction & Pick

Anything goes in divisional showdowns! However, it is extremely difficult to put your faith into the Cardinals at the moment. Side with the first-place Brewers to get the job done and come up with clutch moments to ultimately come out on top.

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Final Cardinals-Brewers Prediction & Pick: Brewers -1.5 (+130)