What's up, MLB fans? I hope Hump Day treated you well. Today sparks the Week 1 opening of college football, but that doesn't mean we will neglect winners in baseball.
Nice matchups from today's card include the D'Backs vs. the Brewers and the Cubs vs. the Giants. Those will probably turn out to be fantastic games, but I've found some nice betting value on the Pirates vs. Cardinals game at 2:15 PM Eastern Time. Best of luck, sports betting family.
Oddsmakers are making the Cardinals a small favorite in this matchup, as the opening line priced the team from St. Louis as a -120 favorite at home. Some money has shown up for the home team, and the line now sits in the -122 to -126 range in favor of the Cards.
Judging by the run total, sportsbooks are expecting a normal amount of scoring in this one. The number opened at 9 runs, with the juice on the Over in the -115 to -122 range. A bit of under money has shown up, which is why the line is now 8.5 at some spots.
I never thought I'd say this in the year of Our Lord 2025, but I've been impressed with how well the Pirates have been playing lately. Mikey Nobs, have you lost your ever-loving mind? Maybe!
Pittsburgh ranks 14th in WRC+ for the month of August. That may not sound all that lovely, but it's been quite the jump up from the 29th or so spot that they've held down all year long.
Pirates righty Braxton Ashcraft has been pretty sharp since the team moved him to the starting rotation. This kid is 4-2 on the year with a frighteningly low 2.70 ERA in 20 total appearances. He shouldn't have any trouble holding down this slumping Cards lineup.
The Cardinals are now three games under .500 and 6.5 games out of a wildcard spot in the National League. Saint Louis has some nice pieces, but it looks like they've already got their minds on which favorite beach they're going to visit during the off-season.
I'm not a big fan of Miles Mikolas. He's a pitch-to-contact type of starter, and he's had kind of a rough season. The veteran righty is 6-10 with a 5.17 ERA this season. Mikolas has good command, but he's been leaving way too many balls out over the plate here lately.
I'm pretty sure that this is the first time I've bet on the Pirates this season. As crazy as this is to type, I think there's good value on Pittsburgh on Thursday, especially with a guy like Ashcraft on the hill.
Another reason to like Pittsburgh is the almost utter absence of St. Louis's offense. The Cards' lineup ranks just 26th in WRC+ this August, and they aren't showing any signs of busting out of their slump.
Pittsburgh's relievers have also looked better over the last four weeks or so. The Pirates' pen ranks 10th in K minus BB rate over that span. The Cards' pen ranks just 16th. Give me the Pirates at anything plus money on Thursday afternoon.