The Houston Astros are on the road to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in game one of their series Tuesday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. So let's check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Astros-Cardinals prediction and pick.

Houston (42-36) is coming off a series loss against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers who took two of three. Astros are fighting for the top spot in the AL West where the Texas Rangers sit atop the division. As the Astros take on the struggling St. Louis Cardinals on the road in St. Louis, this could be the time for the Astros to make a move to cut into the Ranger's lead in the division.

St. Louis (32-45) split a two-game series in London against the Chicago Cubs and are coming off an exciting come-from-behind win in their most recent outing. Unfortunately, the Cardinals have been a very big disappointment this year, especially with the talent they possess on their team, and need an overhaul to get back into the thick of things heading into the All-Star break. They hope they can turn things around as they head home for a homestand to take on the Houston Astros

Here are the Astros-Cardinals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Astros-Cardinals Odds

Houston Astros: -112

St. Louis Cardinals: -104

Over: 8 (-102)

Under: 8 (-120)

How To Watch Astros vs. Cardinals 

TV: Bally Sports Midwest and AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Stream: MLB.TV

Time: 7:45 PM ET/4:45 PM PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Astros Will Win

Framber Valdez, the Astros' ace, will take the mound on Tuesday night against the Cardinals' Jordan Montgomery. Valdez is having a Cy Young-caliber season, with a 2.27 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 15 starts. Montgomery has been solid as well, with a 3.69 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 16 starts.

But Valdez has the edge in this matchup. He's been better at home this season, with a 1.98 ERA in 10 starts at Minute Maid Park. And he's had success against the Cardinals in the past, going 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three career starts against them. The Astros' offense is also a big advantage in this matchup. They're averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is the second-best mark in the AL. The Cardinals' pitching staff is 26th in the league in ERA, so they'll have their work cut out for them.

Why The Cardinals Will Win

Jordan Montgomery has been quietly having a very good season for the Cardinals. He's 4-7 with a 3.69 ERA, but he's been much better at home, where he's 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA. He'll be facing Framber Valdez, who is having a great season for the Astros. Valdez is 7-5 with a 2.27 ERA, but he's been slightly worse on the road, with a 2.55 ERA.

The Cardinals have the edge in this matchup because of their lineup. They're averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 10th in the NL. The Astros' pitching staff is 10th in the league in ERA, so they'll need to be sharp to keep the Cardinals' offense in check.

Final Astros-Cardinals Prediction & Pick

This should be a pitcher's duel between two of the better pitchers in the majors this season. The Astros have been consistently better throughout the season both on offense and in terms of pitching. The only drawback is that the Astros do not giver Valdez a ton of run support during his starts but against the Cardinals' lackluster pitching staff they should be able to get him his 8th win of the 2023 season. Expect this game to be close early on until the Astros start to tee off against the Cardinals bullpen in the later going of this matchup.

Final Astros-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Houston Astros (-112), Over 8 (-102)