The St. Louis Cardinals (25-36) visit the Texas Rangers (39-20) for the second of their three-game series. First pitch commences Tuesday at 8:05 p.m. ET. Texas kicked off the series with a bang yesterday – winning 4-3 thanks to a walk-off single from Nathaniel Lowe. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Cardinals-Rangers prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Cardinals-Rangers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Rangers Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-156)
Texas Rangers: -1.5 (+130)
Over: 9.5 (-115)
Under: 9.5 (-105)
How To Watch Cardinals vs. Rangers
TV: Bally Sports
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET/ 5:05 p.m. PT
*See how to watch Cardinals-Rangers LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 3-7 (Fifth in the NL Central)
Run Line Record: 26-35 (43%)
Over Record: 28-31-2 (48%)
St. Louis looked to be turning things around after a rough start to the season. They've since preceded to drop two consecutive series against the Guardians and Pirates before losing the series opener to the Rangers last night. St. Louis continues to hit well as they rank 10th in runs, ninth in OPS, and sixth in isolated power. They have hit significantly worse on the road, however, they also covered 63% of their games as road underdogs. Still, they face a tough matchup tonight against the league's best offense. Consequently, the Cardinals need a strong start from their rookie starter and an improved offensive effort tonight if they want to cover.
Rookie Matthew Liberatore (1-1) makes his third start of the season for the Cardinals tonight. St. Louis' top pitching prospect looked sharp in his debut – allowing no runs on three hits in 5.0 innings against the Brewers. He was roughed up in his two subsequent appearances, however, allowing two runs in relief against the Dodgers before taking a loss against the Guardians. That said. the 23-year-old southpaw oozes potential thanks to a solid fastball and dangerous slider. Although he lacks one elite pitch, his diverse arsenal and elite command made him a prized prospect in the minors. That said, he faces the toughest test of his young career tonight against the league's top-scoring offense. The Rangers are especially dangerous facing lefties – against whom they own an .837 OPS.
Despite the future promise of Liberatore, the Cardinals likely need to provide him with ample run support if they want to cover tonight. That starts with their star-studded corner infield of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. While Goldschmidt regressed somewhat in May, he still finished with a stellar .380 OBP to go along with six home runs and 53 total bases. As for Arenado, he bounced back from a brutal opening month to bat .290 and lead the team with 22 RBI and 56 total bases in May.
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 8-2 (First in the NL West)
Run Line Record: 39-20 (66%)
Over Record: 33-24-2 (58%)
Texas continues to blast its way through the MLB this season as they now hold the second-most wins in the majors. That is primarily thanks to their stellar offense which has propelled them to a +153 run differential – the biggest mark in the majors. Although they only managed four runs in last night's win, they still cranked out 11 hits. Considering they rank second in the league in OPS and lead the league in BABIP, the Rangers are a sure-fire bet to score runs in bunches against a rookie pitcher tonight. That said, they'll need a strong outing from Dane Dunning if they want to cover as 1.5-run favorites tonight.
Righty Dane Dunning (4-1) makes his sixth start of the season for the Rangers tonight. Dunning flashed promise as a starter the last two seasons but has taken his game up a notch in 2023. Between 13 appearances out of the bullpen and from the starting rotation, Dunning holds a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Interestingly, his strikeout stuff is down to a career-low 6.0 K/9 despite his success in limiting runs. Since officially entering the starting rotation in May, Dunning has been rock-solid and has yet to allow more than three runs in any start. Although he is coming off perhaps his worst start of the season, Dunning has been lights-out at home where he holds a 1.47 ERA.
Texas boasts dangerous bats up and down their lineup with eight regulars holding at least a .260 batting average. Chief among those is second baseman, Marcus Semien. The 32-year-old has established himself as an early MVP candidate thanks to a May stretch that saw him bat .322 and collect 59 total bases. With an RBI single last night, he extended his hit streak to 24 games as he is truly one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now.
Final Cardinals-Rangers Prediction & Pick
The Cardinals continue to be overvalued compared to their 2023 results and we'll jump all over plus odds for the Rangers at home tonight.
Final Cardinals-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Texas Rangers -1.5 (+130)
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