The Pittsburgh Pirates (28-27) welcome the St. Louis Cardinals (25-32) to PNC Park Friday for a 3-game series. First pitch in the opener is set for 7:05 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Cardinals vs. Pirates odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: Tied 2-2
The Cardinals beat the Kansas City Royals 2-1 Tuesday, splitting the 2-game series. St. Louis is 4-4 in its last 8 games and the Cards are 13-16 on the road this season.
The Pirates are 12-13 at home. They are 4-6 over their last 10 games and coming off a 9-4 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. Pittsburgh is 4 games ahead of St. Louis in the NL Central; the Pirates are 1/2 game back of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.