Cardinals vs. Giants prediction and odds for Monday, April 24 (St. Louis rounding into form)

It's been a slow start to the St. Louis Cardinals season, just 9-13, but wins are going to be coming soon, the team is too good at the plate.

St. Louis is a top five hitting team this season, but has had some poor variance lead to a few more defeats than expected through the first portion of the 2023 schedule. The team starts an early week series against the San Francisco Giants, who have been dragging its feet as well through the start of the year at 8-13.

Here are the odds for the series opener on Monday, with Jordan Montgomery drawing the start for the Cards against Alex Cobb.

This is a great get right spot for the Cardinals to start the series. Montgomery dazzled for the Cards in the summer last season after being acquired by the Yankees, but has stumbled out of the gates, pitching to a 4.84 ERA so far.

However, that's a bit misleading with the Cardinals poor fielding so far, as Montgomery's Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is an elite mark of 2.88.

With better luck in the field, Montgomery should thrive. It helps that he is facing a Giants team that is bottom third in Major League Baseball in batting average against left handed pitchers.

On the other side, the Cardinals enter as the far more dangerous team at the plate, top five in most hitting metrics like wRC+ and seventh in slugging percentage. Cobb has worked out of jams at will this season, posting a 2.79 ERA despite allowing 26 hits in over 19 innings of work this season.

I think the Cardinals put too many runners on base and breakthrough against Cobb, who has been stout this season on the mound, but is playing a dangerous game with so many runners getting on base.

I'll take the Cards as small road favorites.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.