MLB Cardinals vs. Pirates Picks & Predictions for July 31, 2013
By ATSSportsline.com
PITTSBURGH, PA (ATS Consultants) – After taking the first three games of a five-game series, the Pirates will look to top the Cardinals’ ace tonight when the two NL Central rivals clash again at 7:05PM ET tonight.
ODDS: According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Cardinals are -116 money line favorites over the Pirates, who are +107 on the ML. With Adam Wainwright and Jeff Locke on the hill, the over/under total is currently sitting at 7 runs.
LINE MOVEMENT: The Cardinals opened as -120 money line favorites but their odds have dropped to -116, while the Pirates are now +107 after opening at +111. St. Louis enters play with a 62-43 overall record and is 30-26 on the road, while Pittsburgh is 64-42 overall and 35-18 at home.
PUBLIC BETTING: Of the current wagers placed on tonight’s game, 60% of the betting public currently favors St. Louis. 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 the under. According to latest MLB trends, St. Louis is: 3-9 last 12 Under bet in Pittsburgh and 2-6 last 8 Under bet in Wainwright's starts as a favorite of -110 to -150. Pittsburgh is: 0-7 last 7 Under after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game, 4-11-1 last 16 Under as a dog and 1-7 last 8 Under with Locke as a dog.
The Cardinals desperately need a strong pitching outing from Adam Wainwright (13-6, 2.51 ERA), who is an ace for a reason. He did lose his last start from Atlanta, but gave up just three runs. Lefty Jeff Locke (9-3, 2.15 ERA) has allowed five runs in his last three starts and two or fewer runs in each of his last eight starts. Locke gave up no runs and three hits in his only start against the Cardinals on April 28 in a 9-0 win for the Pirates. That's not good news for St. Louis, who can't score as of late. They put up just six runs in their last six games (all losses). They are also hitting just .238 against left-handers and .275 against right-handers. To make matters worse, they are playing without their best hitter in Yadier Molina (.330), who has been placed on the disabled list with a right knee strain.
Pittsburgh has outscored St. Louis 17-3 in their first three games of this series. They take on one of the toughest right-handers in Wainwright, who needs to pitch a flawless game to get the Cardinals the win. Expect this one to go well under the total.
WEDNESDAY MLB FREE PICK: CARDINALS/PIRATES UNDER 7
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