The St. Louis Cardinals standings are disappointing after a tough start to the MLB schedule, going 9-13. They sit 6.5 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Central MLB standings.
But they have a great opportunity to gain ground to start the week against one of the MLB teams with a worse record, albeit slightly, as the San Francisco Giants (8-13) host them.
Here is a breakdown of each team’s start to the season, Cardinals vs Giants odds, and predictions.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants Odds
Cardinals vs Giants odds show the Cardinals are favored at -115 on the moneyline and are -1.5 (+140) on the run line. Meanwhile, the Giants are +105 on the moneyline and +1.5 (-160) on the run line. The over/under is eight runs with -115 odds on the over and -105 odds on the under.
The Cardinals’ implied run total is four runs, with -115 odds on either side of the spread. The Giants’ implied run total is 3.5 runs with -120 odds on the over and -110 odds on the under.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants Information
St. Louis Cardinals vs San Francisco Giants
Location of the game: Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA.
Date and Time: Monday, April 24, 2023, 9:45 p.m. ET.
How to Watch: Bally Sports Network | NBC Bay Area | MLB.TV
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants Betting Preview
The Cardinals’ struggles lie within their pitching. They are 14th in scoring 4.8 runs per game, fourth in hitting .270, and fifth with an OPS of .782. But the pitching staff is 20th in allowing 4.89 runs per game, 28th with a batting average against of .273, and 25th with an opposing OPS of .786.
There is no doubt that the issues are partly due to the lack of upgrades at starting pitching. Plus, the MLB injury report has factored in with Adam Wainwright and Packy Naughton hitting the shelf early.
But Miles Mikolas has not been himself, and they lack an elite power pitcher. Like last season, the offense is good enough to contend, but the pitching is not yet there.
Giants Have Potential, but Expectations Are Low
Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants players are not up to form. Even with a slow start, they remain three games back in the NL West, with the Arizona Diamondbacks tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers. So, the Giants have the potential to get back in the race, but that is not the expectation.
The offense is averaging 4.53 runs per game, which ranks 17th, has a .236 batting average, which is 20th, and a solid OPS of .730, which ranks 14th. The Giants are third in averaging 1.52 home runs per game but last with 10.78 strikeouts per game.
Their pitching staff can’t accommodate the boom-or-bust nature of the offense, either. They are 24th in allowing 5.2 runs per game, 25th with a batting average against of .262 and an opposing OPS of .748, ranks 22nd.
Starting Pitchers:
Jordan Montgomery, St. Louis Cardinals
Montgomery won his first two starts of the season but is 2-2 with a 4.84 ERA after allowing seven earned runs on ten hits in four innings in his last start, MLB player stats show.
Alex Cobb, San Francisco Giants
Cobb is 0-1 with a 2.79 ERA and has allowed two earned runs or less in all four of his MLB games this season with 22 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants Picks and Predictions
Pick 1: Betting on either team has not gone well, but the Cardinals vs Giants odds provide an opportunity to cash in on a home underdog. MLB picks show 64% of bettors are on the Cardinals to win outright, though they are 4-5 away from home. We’ll take Giants +105.
Pick 2: Eight runs seem like a decent amount for how the two pitchers have performed. In the Bay Area at night with 15 mph winds, we’ll go under 8.0 (-105).
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