The Pittsburgh Pirates (71-78) take on the St. Louis Cardinals (74-75) Monday in the opener of a 4-game set at Busch Stadium at 7:45 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s'MLB odds around the Pirates vs. Cardinals odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Cardinals lead 5-4
The Pirates avoided a 3-game sweep against the Kansas City Royals with a 4-3 win Sunday at basically a -108 pick’-em price. 3B Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 3-for-5 with an RBI as the Bucs improved to 5-2 over their last 7 games.
The Cardinals playoff hopes took a big hit over the weekend as they were swept in 3 at the Toronto Blue Jays. The Cards lost 4-3 in 11 innings Friday, lost 7-2 Saturday and fell 3-2 Sunday — St. Louis was a minor underdog in all 3 games. The recurring theme was what it has been all year — struggling to score runs and drive in runners in scoring position. The Cards have lost 5 of their last 7.