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The Cardinals make the trip to Houston to face the Astros! Both of these teams have had issues this season and have not been able to find any consistency between either team. The Astros are the more surprising team that has had struggles, while the Cardinals did not have much expectations in comparison. Our MLB odds series has our Cardinals-Astros prediction, odds, and pick for Tuesday.
The Cardinals have been inconsistent this season on their way to a 28-29 record. The Cardinals have struggled across the board on both offense and defense. It is a massive reason behind their struggles so far. Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and Willson Contreras have at least tried to stand out on a bad offense. On the mound, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Sonny Gray have been solid for a unit that has struggled as a whole this season. This will be an interesting matchup because the Angels at least have a solid offense.
The Astros have opened this season struggling. They have a 26-34 record and they have continuously struggled to find any sort of consistency this season. Despite their struggles, their offense has been great this season with the best batting average in the MLB. Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Pena, Yainer Diaz, and Yordan Alvarez have been great for Houston behind the plate. The issue is all on the mound where they have struggled across the board. Ronel Blanco and Justin Verlander have stood out on a struggling staff. The Astros have talent, but they have struggled all season to try and figure things out and there is a real question on whether they will or will not.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Astros Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-172)
Moneyline: +126
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+142)
Moneyline: -148
Over: 9 (-105)
Under: 9 (-115)
How to Watch Cardinals vs. Astros
Time: 8:10 pm ET
TV: Space City Home Network / Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cardinals are starting Andre Pallante on the mound where he has a 1-1 record, a 3.94 ERA, and a 1.56 WHIP up to this point in the season as both a starter and a part of the bullpen. Through 16 innings, he has allowed eight runs on 17 hits with eight walks and 10 strikeouts. In his 10 appearances this season, the Cardinals have gone 2-8. In his last start, which was his only start, Pallante pitched six innings where he allowed zero runs and three hits with three walks and four strikeouts in a Cardinals win. This is going to be a tough matchup because the Astros have been very good behind the plate.
The offense for the Cardinals has struggled this season. They are 22nd in team-batting average at .233 after finishing last season with a .250 batting average in comparison. Masynn Winn, Nolan Gorman, and Nolan Arenado lead the way for the Cardinals in most of the batting categories. Winn leads in batting average at .299 and in OBP at .349. Gorman leads the way in home runs at 11 and in RBI at 28. Then, Arenado leads the way in total hits at 55. The Cardinals' struggles might get a boost with a favorable matchup against Spencer Arrighetti on the mound for the Astros.
Why The Astros Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Astros are starting Spencer Arrighetti on the mound. He has a 3-5 record, a 5.98 ERA, and a 1.65 WHIP. Arrighetti has allowed 29 runs on 49 hits with 23 walks and 51 strikeouts through 43.2 innings up to this point in the season. In his nine starts for Houston this season, the Astros are 4-5. In his last start, he pitched six innings and allowed zero runs on two hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in an Astros win. Arrighetti has struggled this season but has a favorable matchup against a struggling Cardinals offense.
The offense for the Astros has been the third-best in the MLB so far this season. They are third in batting average at .258 after they finished last season with a .259 batting average. Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, and Kyle Tucker lead the Astros in almost every important batting category. Tucker leads the way in home runs at 19, in RBI at 40, and in OBP at .392. Pena leads the way in the current batting average at .296 and then Altuve leads the way in total hits at 70. The Astros have been great on offense and get a favorable matchup against Andre Pallante on the mound and the rest of the bullpen for the Cardinals.
Final Cardinals-Astros Prediction & Pick
The Cardinals should be able to keep it close against the Astros. They have the advantage at pitcher because Arrighetti has struggled all season, while Pallante has been solid whether he has been in relief or starting. The Astros have the better offense, but Arrighetti's struggles are the reason why the Cardinals should keep it close. Pallante is a key for the Cardinals too. Expect them to cover and potentially win on the road.
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Final Cardinals-Astros Prediction & Pick: Cardinals +1.5 (-172)
