MLB Odds: Pirates vs Cardinals prediction, pick, how to watch
The Pittsburgh Pirates take on the St. Louis Cardinals. Our MLB odds series has our Pirates Cardinals prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Pirates Cardinals.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are above .500 two weeks into the 2023 MLB season. Few if any experts thought that would happen, but the Bucs have played solid baseball. We will see if they can sustain it. Pittsburgh is getting good pitching, timely hitting, and a generally more resilient brand of ball than in previous seasons. The Pirates would typically crumble when teams rallied against them. Their bullpen would stumble. The team would flinch in critical, pivot-point moments within games. So far this season, these Bucs are different.
Three games played this week all prove the point.
The Pirates won 1-0 over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. That was the game in which star player O’Neil Cruz got hurt sliding into home plate. Pittsburgh shrugged off a very negative turn of events to preserve a shutout thrown by tonight’s starting pitcher, Johan Oviedo.
Later in the week, the Pirates blew a 4-2 lead in the ninth inning against the defending World Series champion Houston Astros. They calmly responded by limiting the damage in the ninth and keeping the game tied, 4-4. The Buccos then won in the bottom of the ninth on a three-run homer.
Thursday night, the Pirates took a tenuous one-run lead into the sixth inning and were able to keep the St. Louis Cardinals’ bats under wraps. The Pirates built on the lead and pulled away for a comfortable win. Those are all games Pittsburgh did not play (or win) often in 2022.
Here are the Pirates-Cardinals MLB odds,
MLB Odds: Pirates-Cardinals Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-146)
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+122)
Over: 9 (-104)
Under: 9 (-118)
How To Watch Pirates vs Cardinals
TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh (Pirates) / Bally Sports Midwest (Cardinals) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET/5:15 p.m. PT
*Watch Pirates-Cardinals LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread
The Pirates are different this season, at least through two weeks. They’re not the same old Bucs who wilt as soon as the late-inning pressure gets more intense. The bullpen is holding together. The starting pitching from Oviedo — so good against the White Sox on Sunday — gives the Pirates an excellent chance here against young and unproven St. Louis starter Jake Woodford. It was easy to think the Pirates would tumble in the standings after the O’Neil Cruz injury on Sunday, but it hasn’t happened. Pittsburgh is 2-2 since the injury against quality opposition (Astros and Cardinals). This team is defying expectations. Maybe it’s time to give this team more trust from a betting standpoint.
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
The Cardinals aren’t playing particularly consistent ball, and that point can’t be denied, but are the Redbirds really going to lose two straight at home to the Pirates? That would rate as a shock. Moreover, it’s not as though Johan Oviedo, the Pittsburgh starter in this game, is Cy Young. He had a great outing against the White Sox on Sunday, but he was not strong in his previous start. He doesn’t deserve that much respect. St. Louis had no offense on Thursday. Chances are the Cards will bounce back on Friday.
Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
The Cardinals are unlikely to lose two straight games — and get shut down on offense two straight days — by the Pirates at home. Take St. Louis here.
Final Pirates-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Cardinals -1.5
