The St. Louis Cardinals will look to turn around their recent fortunes when they battle the Pittsburgh Pirates in a key National League Central matchup on Monday. St. Louis is coming off an 18-7 loss at Boston and a three-game weekend sweep, while Pittsburgh defeated the New York Yankees 5-4 on Sunday. The Cardinals (4-5), who tied for second in the division at 83-79 last year, are 0-3 on the road this season. The Pirates (3-7), who finished fifth in the Central at 76-86 in 2024, are 1-2 on their home field.
First pitch from PNC Park in Pittsburgh is set for 6:40 p.m. ET. The Cardinals won eight of 13 meetings a year ago. St. Louis is a -125 favorite on the money line (risk $125 to win $100) in the latest Pirates vs. Cardinals odds from SportsLine consensus, while the total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 8. Before making any Cardinals vs. Pirates picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It enters Week 3 of the 2025 MLB season on a 34-19 roll on top-rated run-line betting picks (+629). Anybody following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cardinals vs. Pirates and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several MLB odds and betting lines for Cardinals vs. Pirates:
- Cardinals vs. Pirates money line: St. Louis -125, Pittsburgh +105 at BetMGM
- Cardinals vs. Pirates over-under: 8.5 runs
- Cardinals vs. Pirates run line: St. Louis -1.5 (+134)
- STL: The Cardinals have covered the run line in 26 of their last 41 games (+9.15 units)
- PIT: The Pirates have hit the game total over in 16 of their last 25 home games (+7.05 units)
- Cardinals vs. Pirates picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Cardinals vs. Pirates streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Cardinals can cover
St. Louis is expected to send left-hander Matthew Liberatore (0-0, 4.50 ERA) to the mound. In his first outing, a 9-7 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, he received a no-decision, pitching six innings and allowing three earned runs, while walking zero batters and striking out four. In 60 games, including six starts in 2024, he went 3-4 with a 4.40 ERA, allowing 81 hits, 42 earned runs and 28 walks, while striking out 76 in 86 innings. He has faced the Pirates eight times, going 1-2.
Veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado is off to a fast start to the season. He has hits in all nine games, including three multi-hit performances. In a 12-5 win over the Angels on Wednesday, he was 2-for-3 with two RBI. For the season, he is hitting .343 with three doubles, one homer, six RBI and six runs scored. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Pirates can cover
Pittsburgh will counter with right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (0-1, 9.82 ERA). In his first outing this year, a 6-1 loss at Tampa Bay on March 31, he pitched 3.2 innings, allowing four earned runs and two walks, while striking out four. In 40 games last season, including four starts, he went 5-5 with a 3.38 ERA with 19 walks and 46 strikeouts. In seven career games against St. Louis, he is 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA with two walks and 12 strikeouts.
Second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa helps power the Pittsburgh offense. In 10 games this season, he is hitting .323 with one double and two RBI. He has walked five times and stolen four bases. In his eight-year MLB career, he is hitting .263 with 110 doubles, 14 triples, 34 homers and 248 RBI. He has hit the Cardinals well. In 11 career games against them, he is batting .394 with five doubles and one RBI. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Cardinals vs. Pirates picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 10.1 combined runs, and it says one side of the money line has all the value. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s MLB picks.
So who wins Cardinals vs. Pirates, and which side has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.
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