It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Pirates-Cardinals prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Pirates-Cardinals.
The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals are playing out the string. Both teams are enduring the sting of falling short of the playoffs and not having anything to play for in the middle of September other than for guys to nail down roster spots for 2025. The Pirates wasted a lot of quality pitching this season. They had Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, a few months with a healthy Jared Jones, plus Jose Ortiz. They had a lot of attractive pieces in their starting rotation, but they couldn't hit well and their bullpen gave up a lot of late leads. The Pirates were to the National League what the Seattle Mariners are to the American League, a team which couldn't translate quality starting pitching into a playoff season (though the Mariners still have an outside chance of making the playoffs, but they're not likely to get in).
The St. Louis Cardinals could not get the level of starting pitching the Pirates had in 2024, but they also fell victim to a lack of offense and top-level production from their batting order. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado did not fulfill their potential. Those two men know more than anyone else that they left something on the table, and it has to be eating them away inside. One can only wonder if the Cardinals are going to try to retain most of their core roster for 2025 or will aim for significant offseason shakeups when the time comes. St. Louis is not used to missing the playoffs multiple seasons in a row, but that is where the Cardinals are, and there will be absolutely no excuses in 2025. The pressure inside this organization to improve is already very intense and all-consuming.
Pirates-Cardinals Projected Starters
Paul Skenes vs. Andre Pallante
Paul Skenes (10-2) has a 2.10 ERA. He is unlikely to win National League Rookie of the Year or the NL Cy Young Award, but Skenes has had a very special season nonetheless. He started the All-Star Game as a rookie, something he will never forget. He is a legitimate superstar who, with a full offseason to build his fitness base, should be ready to dominate from early April through late September in 2025. It's a very attractive thought for the Pirates, who have the makings of an elite rotation and now just need to figure out how to put good hitters and position players around their starting pitchers.
Last Start: Monday, September 9 versus the Miami Marlins: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 1 BB, 9 K
2024 Road Splits: 8 starts, 48 1/3 IP, 29 H, 9 R, 3 HR, 13 BB, 68 K
Andre Pallante (6-8) has a 4.13 ERA. Pallante has been solid at the back end of the St. Louis rotation. Back-end starters aren't supposed to set the world on fire. Merely keeping an ERA near four runs is a solid result for a pitcher who is not an ace or a No. 2. The Cardinals will take a 4.13 ERA from Pallante on a continuous basis. Is there room for improvement? Sure. However, if this is the floor for Pallante, it's a a floor St. Louis should be comfortable with.
Last Start: Tuesday, September 10 versus the Cincinnati Reds: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 HR, 5 BB, 6 K
2024 Home Splits: 9 starts, 53 1/3 IP, 58 H, 29 R, 3 HR, 23 BB, 42 K
Here are the Pirates-Cardinals MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Cardinals Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+122)
Moneyline: -144
St Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-146)
Moneyline: +122
Over: 7 (-120)
Under: 7 (-102)
How to Watch Pirates vs Cardinals
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET/4:45 p.m. PT
TV: Root SportsNet Pittsburgh (Pirates) / Bally Sports Midwest (Cardinals) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: fuboTV (Free trial)
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
Paul Skenes will put the hammer down and smother the Cardinals.
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cardinals can contain Pittsburgh's below-average batting order and scratch out a low-scoring win. Skenes will pitch six innings but the game will be decided by the bullpens in the eighth and ninth. St. Louis will have the advantage under such a scenario.
Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
The lean is to the Pirates, but there's little point in betting on baseball games in which neither team is playing for anything. Pass.
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Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Pirates -1.5