We're backing bringing you another prediction and pick for Saturday's MLB slate as two National League rivals continue their series. The St. Louis Cardinals (25-33) will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (29-27) for the second game of their series. The Pirates took the first game 7-5. Check out our MLB odds series for our Cardinals-Pirates prediction and pick.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in last-place in the NL West, but only trail the leading Brewers by 5.5 games in the relatively tight race. While they saw some consistency early last month, they're back on the losing side, going 4-6 in their last 10 games. They'll look to bounce back against the Pirates after losing yesterday. Jordan Montgomery (2-6) (LHP) will be their starter.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are just a half-game back of the Brewers for the NL Central lead and could grab sole possession with a win plus a Brewers loss. They were the hottest team in the MLB to start the season but have since cooled off. Just recently going 6-14 in their last 20, the Pirates have won their last three-straight and lead this series 1-0. Luis Ortiz (1-2) (RHP) will be their starter in this one.

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

MLB Odds: Cardinals-Pirates Odds

St. Louis Cardinals: -144

Pittsburgh Pirates: +122

Over (9): -114

Under (9): -106

How To Watch Cardinals vs. Pirates

TV: Bally Sports Midwest

Stream: MLB.TV, fuboTV

Time: 4:05 p.m. ET/ 1:05 p.m. PT

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

Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread

While the Cardinals sport a tacked lineup featuring Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arendano, and Willson Contreras, they haven't been able to be a dominant force in the NL Central to start the season. The Cardinals still rank sixth in MLB hits and they'd like to see some of their production translate into wins. Nolan Gorman continues to lead them in HR and RBI while slugging .551, so look for him to continue his hot hand as he has over the last 10 games.

Jordan Montgomery hasn't been the Cardinals' most reliable starter this year. He's posting a 4.48 ERA and the Cardinals have the lost the last nine consecutive games he's played in. If Montgomery isn't able to get his control early in this one, the Cardinals' bullpen could be in for a long day. The bright spot, however, is that he's 1-0 during day games as the Cardinals have a chance to even the series. The Cardinals are 13-17 on the road and have gone 15-18 as the betting favorites.

Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread

The Pirates were able to comeback last night after a 3-run homer by Ke'Bryan Hayes, giving the Pirates the lead and eventually the win. The Pirates have been dominated by the Cardinals at home in recent years, but this year's Pittsburgh team has shown a new resiliency that is keeping them at the top of the divisional race. Bryan Reynolds is leading the team in hits and RBI while Andrew McCutchen is seeing another phenomenal year in his return to the Steel City.

Luis Ortiz comes in with a 4.35 ERA and 1-2 record thru 20.2 innings of work. He hasn't found his control this season giving up 24 hits and 14 runs in his short time on the mound. He had a decent showing his last time out against the Mariners with 6K, but he also gave up the HR twice and allowed three runs. The Pirates' bats may need to wake up again if they want to top this Cardinals team for the second-straight game. Pittsburgh is 13-13 at home and 19-23 as the underdogs.

Final Cardinals-Pirates Prediction & Pick

The Cardinals have owned the Pirates at PNC Park and last game was shaping up to be another example of that. However, the Pirates have the ability to score in bunches and come back from deficits, so don't sleep on them as they look to notch extra-base hits in this one. The Cardinals will likely come out hot as well, so expect these two pitchers to get tagged at some point. For our prediction, let's go with the over on runs.

Final Cardinals-Pirates Prediction & Pick: OVER 9 (-114)