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The St. Louis Cardinals stay on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates Monday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Cardinals-Pirates prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
Cardinals-Pirates Projected Starters
Matthew Liberatore vs. Carmen Mlodzinksi
Matthew Liberatore is making his second start of the season.
Last Start: vs. Los Angeles Angels: No Decision, 6.0 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
Carmen Mlodzinksi is making his second start of the season.
Last Start: at Tampa Bay Rays: Loss, 3.2 innings, 7 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Pirates Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+130)
Moneyline: -124
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-156)
Moneyline: +106
Over: 8.5 (-105)
Under: 8.5 (-115)
How to Watch Cardinals vs. Pirates
Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, SportsNet Pittsburgh
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cardinals are throwing Liberatore in this game, and that gives them a pretty good chance to win. He threw six strong innings in his first outing against the Angels. He did not get the win, but he put the Cardinals in a fantastic position to win. The left needs to have the same type of start. The good news is the Pirates are batting just .197 on the season, and they have the third-lowest team OPS. Pittsburgh has really struggled at the plate this season, and the Liberatore has to take advantage of that.
Mlodzinski was hit around in his first outing. The Rays were able to put up four runs on seven hits off him. In the start, Mlodzinski did not get a lot of whiffs, and Tampa Bay was constantly barreling balls. Heading into their game Sunday night, the Cardinals had the best batting average in the MLB. In fact, they were the only team hitting over .300. Along with that, St. Louis was tied for fourth in runs scored. They are averaging over 10 hits per game. If Mlodzinski is not careful, the Cardinals are going to put up a lot of runs.
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
St. Louis is coming off a double header on Sunday. They used a whole bunch of relievers in their first game that went into extra innings, and game two was a blow out. The Cardinals then have to travel to Pittsburgh. St. Louis is going to have tired legs, and tired bodies. Playing two games then turning around and having to play a division game the next day is not easy. Pittsburgh has to take advantage of this. With the Pirates being a bit fresher, it would not be surprising to see them win.
The Pirates have been able to get to Matthew Liberatore a bit in his career. The left-hander has made eight appearances against the Pirates, including four starts. In those games, he has accumulated 21.1 innings pitched, allowed 25 hits, walked 11, struck out just 15, and his ERA is over 6.00. This is obviously a new year with new players, but there is something about certain teams that make some pitchers struggle. The Pirates are that team for Liberatore.
Final Cardinals-Pirates Prediction & Pick
This should be a pretty good game. At the end of the day, I like Liberatore to pitch better than Mlodzinski. I will take the Cardinals to win straight up.
Final Cardinals-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Cardinals ML (-124)
