MLB Cardinals vs. Pirates Picks & Predictions for August 30, 2013
By Anthony Rome
PITTSBURGH, PA (The Spread) – The Cardinals and Pirates open up a huge three-game series at PNC Park tonight at 7:05PM ET. Can St. Louis steal a victory in Game 1?
ODDS: According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Pirates are -130 money line favorites over the Cardinals, who are +120 on the ML. With Shelby Miller set to take on Francisco Liriano in the pitching matchup, the total is currently sitting at 7 runs.
LINE MOVEMENT: The Pirates opened as -119 money line favorites but their odds have climbed to -130, while the Cardinals are +120 after opening as +110 underdogs. St. Louis enters play with a 78-55 overall record and is 37-30 on the road, while Pittsburgh is 77-56 overall and 43-24 at home.
PUBLIC BETTING: Of the current wagers placed on tonight’s game, 56% of the betting public currently favors Pittsburgh. This information is subject to change, however, so make sure you click on the link provided for the most updated numbers.
MLB FREE PICK: Take St. Louis. According to latest MLB trends, the Cardinals are 4-0 in their last four games following an off day, 5-1 in their last six games as an underdog and 4-1 in their last five road games. They’re also 6-1 in Miller’s last seven starts as an underdog, 5-1 in his last six starts as a road underdog and 4-1 in his last five starts within the division. Liriano has had a great year but he’s also been inconsistent of late. In his last 10 starts he’s lasted at least seven innings while allowing two runs or fewer in seven outings, but he’s 0-3 with a 16.03 ERA in the other three games. This isn’t the same Pirates team that took four of five from the Cardinals in Pittsburgh in late July. Their pitching has fallen off and their offense continues to be a no-show in some games. There’s too much value in the Cardinals tonight, especially after Miller pitched a great game his last time out. (The young pitcher added a cutter to his arsenal and that’s a pitch that could give him more confidence heading into tonight.)
2013 MLB FREE PICK: ST. LOUIS CARDINALS +120