The St. Louis Cardinals will finish their three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates as the teams clash on the Fourth of July at PNC Park. We're here to share our MLB odds series, make a Cardinals-Pirates prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.

Cardinals-Pirates Projected Starters 

Andre Pallante vs. Martin Perez

Andre Pallante (4-3) with a 4.50 ERA

Last Start: Pallante tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his last outing, also allowing four hits and striking out five in a win over the Cincinnati Reds.

2024 Road Splits: Pallante has done slightly worse on the road, going 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA over eight starts away from Busch Stadium.

Martin Perez (1-4) with a 5.28 ERA

Last Start: Perez struggled in his return from injury, going four innings while allowing six earned runs on eight hits in a loss to the Atlanta Braves.

2024 Home Splits: Perez has been mediocre at home, going 0-2 with a 4.55 ERA over six starts at home.

Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Cardinals-Pirates Odds

St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+128)

Moneyline: -122

Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-154)

Moneyline: +104

Over: 8.5 (-120)

Under: 8.5 (-102)

How to Watch Cardinals vs. Pirates

Time: 12:35 PM ET/9:35 AM PT

TV: Bally Sports Mountain West

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Cardinals are currently clinging to one of the wildcard spots in the National League. Overall, they have done a good job of winning the tight battles and finishing games they could not last season. However, the Cards have thrived despite inconsistent results from their offense. While they have seen some explosive results at times, it has mainly been inconsistent and mediocre. Their hitters need to do more.

Masyn Wynn is one of the newest hitters in the lineup. Ultimately, he does enough to stay at the top of the lineup and entered the day batting .288 with four home runs, 28 RBIs, and 33 runs while also having a .332 on-base percentage. But Alec Burleson is a rising star and has become one of the focal points of this offense while batting second in the lineup. So far, he is hitting .280 with 13 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 33 runs.

Willson Contreras has struggled with inconsistency. He is batting .261 with six home runs, 13 RBIs, and 23 runs. Likewise, Paul Goldschmidt is enduring the worst season of his career. Goldschmidt has struggled all season and is hitting just .227 with only 11 home runs, 33 RBIs, and 40 runs. This puts him on a trajectory for a career-low of 22 home runs, 66 RBIs, and 80 runs. Unfortunately, the decline has begun for him, and he must overcome it to help his team. Nolan Arenado is batting .262 with seven home runs, 34 RBIs, and 29 runs. Now, he looks to help this lineup while batting sixth in the order.

Pallante has hit six innings just once this season. Therefore, he must locate the strike zone and do everything he can to extend this game into the deep stages. But when he finishes, he will turn it over to a bullpen that is eighth in baseball in team ERA.

The Cardinals will cover the spread if Wynn and Burleson can produce at the plate and set things up for Goldschmidt. Then, they need Pallante to do the job and make things easier for his relievers.

Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Pirates are struggling to find their footing. Regardless, they are still alive in the wildcard race and can actually make some headway if they can string together some wins. But they need their offense to make some waves.

Andrew McCutchen is still leading off for the Pirates, the team that drafted him, and must show he can still do it as he tries to inspire some hope. McCutchen will set things up for Connor Joe and Bryan Reynolds. Ultimately, both are the top hitters in this lineup and must find a way to drive runners home. But when doing that, they must also rely on Oneill Cruz. Cruz has some power and must showcase it by finding the right pitch to drive into the seats.

Perez was awful against the Braves. He has been awful for the majority of his last few starts. Perez needs to do more and avoid making mistakes down the heart of the plate. Ultimately, he has to pitch well because he will turn it over to the fourth-worst bullpen in baseball.

The Pirates will cover the spread if the offense can spring to life and take the lead. Then, Perez cannot implode.

Final Cardinals-Pirates Prediction & Pick

The Cardinals started the series with a 7-4 win. Substantially, they found a way to get things done, went on the road, and commanded the game. Neither team has a good pitcher on the mound. However, the Cards have shown that they are more trustworthy overall. Consequently, they will take advantage of any mistakes Pittsburgh makes.

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Final Cardinals-Pirates Prediction & Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 (+128)