The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals finish their series with the third of a three-game set at Busch Stadium. The Red Sox started the year on fire, making the doubters wonder if they had what it took to make a run this season. However, they've returned to earth, losing seven of their last ten games. The Cardinals have an even worse record in a rebuilding year, going 19-25 to start the season. They've been in better form, winning four of their last six games, which includes a 10-6 win over the Red Sox on Friday night. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Red Sox vs. Cardinals prediction, pick, odds, and how-to-watch.
Nick Pivetta gets the ball for the Red Sox in this game. He had a great start to the season, allowing one earned run over 11 innings. The Red Sox scored just one run over those two games, but he still managed to get the win in a game against Oakland. After the Oakland game, Pivetta had some trouble recovering between starts, which led the Red Sox to place him on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow flexor strain. Pivetta felt okay to return on May 8th but allowed five earned runs and three home runs over four innings. The longball struggles continued in the next game, allowing two to the Rays in 5 2/3 innings.
Sonny Gray is in line to start for the Cardinals, their best starter in the early season. Gray has a 5-2 record with a 3.05 ERA but has struggled recently, allowing 11 earned runs over his last two starts. Gray was one of the best starters in baseball statistically until this recent stretch.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Red S0x vs. Cardinals Odds
Boston Red Sox: -1.5 (+130)
Moneyline: -120
St. Louis Cardinals: +1.5 (-156)
Moneyline: +102
Over: 8.5 (-115)
Under: 8.5 (-105)
How to Watch Red Sox vs. Cardinals
Time: 1:05 PM ET/10:05 AM PT
TV: Roku
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Red Sox Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cardinals beat the Red Sox on Friday night with a ten-run explosion. It was the second time in their last four games that the Cardinals scored ten runs, which is an encouraging sign. However, it could be an anomaly more than a sign of things to come, as the Cardinals are batting just .225, averaging 3.8 runs/nine.
Nick Pivetta looked rusty in his first start back from injury, but he settled down again in his second start, allowing just two earned runs. Pivetta's pitch count will grow as the starts go by, which will help the Red Sox stay away from their struggling bullpen.
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
It's easy to see why the Red Sox are beginning to struggle. Most of the concerns about them were the lack of offensive firepower, which is starting to rear its ugly head. The Red Sox are batting .233 over their last ten games, averaging just 3.2 runs/nine. The Red Sox aren't drawing many walks or extra-base hits, a recipe for a lack of runs.
Their bullpen is also starting to falter, recording a 5.10 ERA over their last three games. If their pitching isn't keeping them in games, the Red Sox will struggle to win.
Final Red Sox-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
The Cardinals don't have enough talent to continue tallying ten-run games. We mentioned that Nick Pivetta is returning to good form, and we expect Sonny Gray to do that, too. This game is an early Sunday afternoon start time on a getaway day, paving the way for a pitching duel with sleepy hitters. Take two below-average offenses to struggle against their rotation's best starters.
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Final Red Sox-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Under 8.5 (-105)
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