Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas begins what he hopes will be a 200-inning season when he takes the mound on Saturday for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Because of numerous injuries, the 33-year-old Mikolas has reached the 200-inning mark in only one season (2018). Last year he started just nine games and pitched just 44.2 innings, going 2-3 with a 4.23 ERA. On Saturday, he will face Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller (5-11, 6.17) in the second game of a four-game series to open the season.
First pitch is set for 2:15 p.m. ET. St. Louis is the -170 moneyline favorite (risk $170 to win $100) in the latest Cardinals vs. Pirates odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while Pittsburgh is a +150 underdog. The over-under for total runs scored is eight. Before making any Pirates vs. Cardinals picks, be sure to check out the latest MLB predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
- Cardinals vs. Pirates moneyline: St. Louis -170, Pittsburgh +150
- Cardinals vs. Pirates run line: St. Louis -1.5 (+115)
- Cardinals vs. Pirates over-under: 8 runs
- STL: Paul Goldschmidt hit .500 during spring training
- PIT: Bryan Reynolds tied for the major league lead last season in triples (eight)
Featured Game | St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Why you should back the Cardinals
Mikolas and the St. Louis pitching staff faces one of the worst — if not the worst — lineups in baseball. Last season the Pirates ranked last in the majors in runs scored (609) and 28th in OPS (.673). In Thursday’s Opening Day game, Pittsburgh managed just six hits — all singles — in a 9-0 loss.
In addition, Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is on a roll. On Opening Day, Goldschmidt didn’t get much to hit, going only 1-for-1, but walking four times. His start to the season continued a hot last month for the six-time All-Star, who finished spring training with a .500 batting average (11-of-22) and four home runs.
Why you should back the Pirates
Bryan Reynolds is poised for another standout season. Last year the 27-year-old outfielder hit .302/.390/.522 with 24 home runs and 90 RBI during an All-Star season. He also tied for the major league lead with eight triples.
In addition, Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller has the stuff to shut down the Cardinals lineup. After the average on his fastball dropped to 93.8 miles per hour last season, Keller, who regularly hit 100 mph on his fastball in the minors and averaged 95.4 mph on his fastball in 2019, overhauled his pitching mechanics in the offseason. With improved lower-body strength and flexibility and a shorter arm action on his delivery, Keller regained the triple-digit speed on his fastball.
