Cardinals vs. Pirates Thursday Prediction
The Cardinals will attempt to sweep their NL Central rivals on Thursday afternoon when they wrap up a four-game series at 12:35 p.m. ET versus the Pirates. Is St. Louis a safe play as a small underdog today?
Game Snapshot & Odds
953 St. Louis Cardinals (+106) at 954 Pittsburgh Pirates (-115); 9 runs
Thursday, July 25, 2019
12:35 p.m. ET, PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
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Public Betting Trends
According to our MLB Public Betting Chart page, 54% of the betting tickets are on the Pirates to beat the Cardinals on the moneyline.
St. Louis Cardinals Fantasy Spin
Paul DeJong went 4-for-4 with three home runs, five RBI and four runs scored as his team thrashed the Pirates 14-8 on Wednesday. He began his barrage by taking Jordan Lyles deep for a two-run shot in the second inning. He rocketed another two-run bomb in the fourth and ripped a solo dong in the eighth. His fourth hit was a double. The shortstop struggled badly in June and found himself on the waiver wire in many fantasy leagues. He has turned things around lately and his huge game today cranks his line up to .258/.339/.471 with 18 home runs, 49 RBI and 68 runs scored in 99 games. Snap him up if someone dropped him in your leagues.
Pittsburgh Pirates Fantasy Spin
Starling Marte went 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored during Wednesday’s loss to the Cardinals. He laced an RBI-single in the first inning and added two run-scoring doubles later in the contest. The Pirates scored eight runs in the game but didn’t even come close to pulling out a win. The big night at the dish boosted Marte’s triple-slash to .288/.328/.504 with 17 home runs, 59 RBI, 66 runs and 13 stolen bases. He isn’t elite in any category but the total five-category package ranks him as a top-25 fantasy hitter this year.
MLB Betting Trends
St. Louis
The Cardinals are 4-0 in their last four road games and are 4-0 in their last four games when facing a right-handed starter.
Pittsburgh
The Pirates are winless in their last four games at home and overall.
Prediction:
The Cardinals are now a perfect 7-0 in their last seven games at PNC Park after their blowout victory last night versus the Pirates, who are now 0-4 in their last four games overall versus St. Louis. Pittsburgh has also dropped four straight games in which Joe Musgrove starts against the Pirates and are 5-15 in his last 20 outings following a Quality Start in his last appearance. On the other side, the Cardinals are 5-1 in their last six games coming off a win and are 10-2 in Miles Mikolas’ last 12 starts after allowing five runs or more in their previous game.
The Pick: St. Louis Cardinals +106