Cardinals vs Pirates Over/Under Prediction 7/2
- Lm Tipster
- Jul 2, 2024, 8:04:19 AM
Game Summary
The St. Louis Cardinals will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 2, 2024, at 6:41 PM at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals are in a battle for the NL Central, while the Pirates are rebuilding and looking to their young talent for the future. St. Louis has been steady, relying on their balanced lineup and strong pitching staff. The Pirates, although struggling, have shown promise with their young core and are looking to play spoiler.
Odds and Betting Lines
| Market | Odds |
| Over 8.5 | +100 |
| Under 8.5 | -122 |
Pitching Probables
| Pitcher | W-L | ERA | Strikeouts |
| Jack Flaherty (STL) | 9-3 | 2.85 | 120 |
| Roansy Contreras (PIT) | 3-7 | 4.12 | 95 |
Team Previews
St. Louis Cardinals
Hitting: The Cardinals have a balanced lineup, led by Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, capable of scoring in bunches.
Relief Pitching: The bullpen has been reliable, with key contributions from Giovanny Gallegos and Genesis Cabrera.
Fielding: St. Louis has one of the best defenses in the league, particularly in the infield.
Starting Pitchers: Flaherty is an ace, consistently delivering quality starts.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Hitting: The young lineup, featuring players like Ke’Bryan Hayes, has shown flashes but lacks consistency.
Relief Pitching: The bullpen has struggled, often giving up leads late in games.
Fielding: The Pirates have had issues with errors, costing them crucial runs.
Starting Pitchers: Contreras has potential but has been inconsistent.
Projected Starting Lineups
| # | St. Louis Cardinals | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1 | Tommy Edman | Ke’Bryan Hayes |
| 2 | Paul Goldschmidt | Bryan Reynolds |
| 3 | Nolan Arenado | Jack Suwinski |
| 4 | Tyler O'Neill | Andrew McCutchen |
| 5 | Willson Contreras | Ji Hwan Bae |
| 6 | Dylan Carlson | Carlos Santana |
| 7 | Brendan Donovan | Rodolfo Castro |
| 8 | Lars Nootbaar | Henry Davis |
| 9 | Paul DeJong | Nick Gonzales |
Betting Trends
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 7 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games.
Recent Games
| Team | Opponent | Score | W/L |
| Cardinals | Brewers | 5-4 | W |
| Cardinals | Cubs | 3-2 | W |
| Cardinals | Cubs | 2-6 | L |
| Pirates | Reds | 4-7 | L |
| Pirates | Diamondbacks | 1-4 | L |
Team Rankings
| Team | Hitting | Starting Pitching | Relief Pitching | Fielding |
| Cardinals | 8th | 10th | 12th | 3rd |
| Pirates | 25th | 26th | 28th | 23rd |
Significant Betting Stats
- St. Louis is 5-2 SU in their last 7 home games.
- Pittsburgh is 1-6 SU in their last 7 road games.
- Jack Flaherty has a 2.20 ERA at home this season.
- Roansy Contreras has a 4.75 ERA in night games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams.
- St. Louis's bullpen has a 3.60 ERA in the last 10 games.
- Pittsburgh has scored 3.5 runs per game over their last 5 games.
- St. Louis averages 4.9 runs per game at home.
- Pittsburgh is 1-5 in Contreras's last 6 starts.
- St. Louis is 6-1 in Flaherty's last 7 starts.
Prediction
With Flaherty on the mound for the Cardinals and Contreras having shown flashes of potential, this game is likely to be a low-scoring affair. The trends and team strengths point towards a game that stays under the 8.5 run total.
Pick: Under 8.5 runs
