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It is an NL Central battle on Tuesday as the Pittsburgh Pirates face the St. Louis Cardinals. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Pirates-Cardinals prediction and pick.
The Pirates come into the series at 12-23 on the year, which places them in last place in the NL Central this year. Further, the Pirates have lost seven of eight heading into this series with the Cardinals. That includes falling in all three games against the Padres over the weekend. Meanwhile, the Cardinals come into the series at 16-19 on the year, which places them in fourth in the NL Central. They are coming off taking two of three from the Mets over the weekend.
The Pirates and Cardinals will play game one of the series on Monday.
Pirates-Cardinals Projected Starters
Paul Skenes vs. Matthew Liberatore
Paul Skenes (3-3) with a 2.74 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP.
Last Start: Skenes went five innings, giving up five hits, four walks, and three home runs. He would strike out just two batters while giving up three runs and taking the loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Away Splits: Paul Skenes is 2-0 with a 0.96 ERA and a .167 opponent batting average on the road this year.
Matthew Liberatore (2-3) with a 3.44 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP.
Last Start: Last time out, Liberatore went just three innings, giving up two hits, a walk, and a home run. He would strike out two batters, but also give up two runs, taking the loss to the Reds.
Home Splits: Liberatore is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA and a .212 opponent batting average at home this year.
Here are the Pirates-Cardinals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Cardinals Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+142)
Moneyline: -124
St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-172)
Moneyline: +106
Over: 7 (-118)
Under: 7 (-106)
Article Continues Below
How to Watch Pirates vs. Cardinals
Time: 7:45 PM ET/ 4:45 PM PT
TV: SNP/FDSNMW
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
Oneil Cruz leads the way for the Pirates this year. He is hitting .243 with a .377 OBP. Cruz has five doubles, eight home runs, 18 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and 20 runs scored this year. Meanwhile, Bryan Reynolds has hit .232 this year with a .299 OBP. He has five doubles, four home runs, 17 RBIs, three stolen bases, and 13 runs scored. Further, Ke'Bryan Hayes has it .254 this year with a .311 OBP. He has two doubles, a triple, a home run, 13 RBIs, and eight runs scored.
Isaiah Kiner-Falefa has hit well this year. He is hitting .280 with a .333 OBP. He has three doubles, a triple, seven RBIs, and 11 runs scored. Finally, Andrew McCutchen is hitting .263 with a .358 OBP. He has six doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIS, and ten runs scored.
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
Brendan Donovan has led the way for the Cardinals. He is hitting .339 this year with a .397 OBP. He has nine doubles, three home runs, 19 RBIS, and 19 runs scored. Meanwhile, Lars Nootbaar is hitting .244 with a .373 OBP. He has seven doubles, five home runs, 18 RBIS, and 23 runs scored. Victor Scott II has also been solid this year. He is hitting .286 with a .356 OBP. He has six doubles, a triple, two home runs, 15 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, and 16 runs scored.
Further, Willson Contreras has been solid this year. has been solid this year. He is hitting .244 with a .322 OBP. He has five doubles, four home runs, 17 RBIs, and 14 runs scored. Finally, Nolan Arenado is hitting .254 with a .341 OBP. He has nine doubles, three home runs, 14 RBIS, and 14 runs scored this year.
Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
Paul Skenes has had some rough starts this year, with two games giving up three or more runs. Still, both of those were at home. In his three road starts this year, he has pitched 18.2 innings, giving up three runs, with just two of them earned. Further, Skenes has not given up an earned run in his last 13.1 innings wor work on the road. He has also pitched well against the Cardinals. Current Cardinals are 18-77 with two doubles, one triple, one home run, eight RBIs, and two walks against Skenes. Alec Burelson has had the most success. He is 5-12 with two RBIs and a walk against Skenes.
Meanwhile, Matthew Liberatore has been solid this year. While he gave up two runs in three innings last time out, his start was cut short by the weather. He has given up just four earned runs in his three home starts this year, and pitched six innings or more in each of them. The Pirates have also struggled to hit against Liberatore. They are just 11-59 with two doubles, two home runs, and six RBIs. Bryan Reynolds is 4-9 with a double, a home run, and two RBIs. While Paul Skenes is a solid pitcher and will keep this game close, the poor offense from the Pirates will be the difference. Take the Cardinals in this one.
Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Cardinals ML (+106)
