The Pittsburgh Pirates (31-34) take on the St. Louis Cardinals (31-33) Tuesday in the opener of a 3-game set at Busch Stadium at 7:45 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Pirates vs. Cardinals odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting; Pirates won 9-4 last year
The Pirates had Monday off after completing a 4-2 homestand in which they took 2 each from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins. Rookie phenom RHP Paul Skenes toes the rubber Tuesday. He’s still unbeaten and has 38 K’s in 27 IP so far. He has given up 5 ER and 3 HRs in 11 IP over his last 2 starts, though. That’s something to keep an eye on as the league gets more tape on him.
The Cards opened their homestand with a 4-game split with the Colorado Rockies. They have scored 5+ runs in 5 of 8 games. After a miserable start to the season offensively, they’re now tied for 21st with 4 runs/game. SS Masyn Winn has been a catalyst atop the order, hitting .306 with 3 HR, 23 RBIs and 8 steals.