Pirates vs. Cardinals Friday Prediction
The Cardinals were in first place a week ago but thanks to a five-game losing streak, coupled with the Cubs getting hot, St. Louis now finds itself four games back of Chicago in the NL Central. Hosting the Pirates tonight, will the Cards end their skid?
Game Snapshot & Odds
907 Pittsburgh Pirates (+125) at 908 St. Louis Cardinals (-141); 9 runs
Friday, August 9, 2019
8:15 p.m. ET, Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
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Public Betting Trends
According to our MLB Public Betting Chart page, 77% of the betting tickets are on the Cardinals to beat the Pirates on the moneyline.
Pittsburgh Pirates Fantasy Spin
Gregory Polanco (shoulder) has resumed baseball workouts. “Continues to make progress with his range of motion,” Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Continues to make progress with his biomechanics of throwing and hitting. He has resumed all baseball activities. That’s very encouraging news there.” Polanco has been sidelined since late June with discomfort in his surgically-repaired left shoulder and will continue to be brought along slowly, but we could see him again in September.
St. Louis Cardinals Fantasy Spin
Paul Goldschmidt went hitless in a fourth straight game Wednesday, finishing 0-for-4 in the loss to the Dodgers. Goldschmidt is without an RBI in seven games after homering in seven of eight games from July 22-30. It’s brutal timing, too; the Cardinals are 1-6 during the stretch, with four of the losses coming by one or two runs
MLB Betting Trends
Pittsburgh
The Pirates are 7-19 in their last 26 road games when facing a right-handed starter.
St. Louis
The Cardinals have dropped five straight overall and are 1-4 in their last five games after scoring two runs or less in their previous game.
Prediction:
The Cardinals’ offense has disappeared over the past two weeks, but they’ve also been playing better opponents (Astros, Cubs, A’s and Dodgers). This team is a paper tiger, one that beats up on bad teams (especially at home) and shrinks against better opponents. Thus, I like St. Louis tonight. The Cardinals are 4-1 in Dakota Hudson’s last five home starts and are 11-3 in his last 14 outings overall. The Pirates, meanwhile, are winless at 0-5 in Chris Archer’s last five starts and are just 3-11 in his last 14 outings on the road. At 5-21 over their last 26 games and 20-42 in their last 62 contests at Busch Stadium, the Bucs are an easy fade tonight.
The Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -141