Cardinals vs. Pirates Prediction
Will the Cardinals upset the Pirates tonight at 7:05PM ET tonight when the two teams open their second half?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Pirates are -120 money line favorites versus the Cardinals, who have odds of +110 to pull off the upset. With Mike Leake set to face Gerrit Cole in the pitching matchup, the over/under currently sits at 8 runs.
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Latest via Rotoworld: Leake surrendered eight runs (three earned) on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings in Wednesday’s loss to the Marlins. While Leake did cough up eight runs, the outing did not do a number on his ERA due to some shoddy defense from his teammates. Five of the eight runs on his line came in the second inning, with a three-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton serving as the big blow. That was the second homer Leake yielded to Stanton, who also took the veteran right-hander deep for a solo shot in the first inning. Leake finishes up the first half of the season the owner of a 3.12 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
Cole allowed two runs in six innings and struck out eight batters in a 5-2 win over the Phillies on Wednesday. He gave up a two-run bomb to Maikel Franco in the first inning but settled down from there. He surrendered seven hits and one walk and threw 113 pitches in his six frames. He helped himself at the plate by driving in two runs in the fourth inning. It was a badly needed strong outing for Cole and his fantasy owners. His ERA had been climbing quickly for the past month. He improves to 7-7 with a 4.43 ERA through 18 starts. Most of his troubles this year can be traced to the gopherball — he’s given up 19 homers already and only seven pitchers have allowed more.
Bet Tonight’s Cardinals vs. Pirates Game
OUR PREDICTION: The Pirates are just 1-4 in their last five meetings against the Cardinals when Leake faces Cole in the pitching matchup. The Cardinals have also won five of their last six games in Pittsburgh and are 7-2 in their last nine games against the Pirates overall. St. Louis has won 10 of its last 11 road games versus a team with a losing record as well.
FRIDAY MLB PREDICTION: ST. LOUIS CARDINALS +110