Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 8/28/2018 Prediction & Preview
The red-hot Cardinals will open a new series versus National League Central rivals the Pirates on Tuesday night at 8:15 p.m. ET. Will the game turn into a pitcher’s duel?
Game Snapshot & Odds
957 Pittsburgh Pirates at 958 St. Louis Cardinals
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
8:15 p.m. ET, Busch Stadium
TV: PIT (ATTP); STL (FSMW)
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers, the Cardinals are -160 favorites to beat the Pirates. As of this writing, 75% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Cardinals to beat the Pirates on the moneyline.
Pirates’ Nova takes tough-luck loss vs. Braves
Ivan Nova limited the Braves to two runs over six innings but took a loss Tuesday. Nova didn’t walk anyone and surrendered just four hits, but one of them was a two-run home run to Dansby Swanson in the fifth inning. The veteran right-hander threw only 78 pitches through his six frames, but his spot came up in the bottom of the sixth and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle chose to pinch-hit with his offense struggling. Nova has been excellent over his last three starts but has just one win to show for it.v
Cardinals’ Flaherty strikes out 10 Dodgers in last start
Jack Flaherty allowed just one hit — a solo homer — and struck out 10 over six innings Wednesday against the Dodgers. Flaherty didn’t factor into the decision, but he held onto his status as August NL Pitcher of the Month favorite; he’s allowed three runs and struck out 33 in 25 innings over the course of his four starts. He’s now gone 10 straight starts without allowing more than five hits.
MLB Betting Trends
Pittsburgh
The Pirates are 2-7 in their last nine games following a loss.
St. Louis
The Cardinals are 20-6 in their last 26 games overall.
Prediction:
The under is 6-1 in the last seven meetings between these two teams in St. Louis and is 4-1 in Nova’s last five outings versus the Cardinals.
The under is also 15-6 in Nova’s last 21 starts against the division and 5-2 in the Cardinals’ last seven games overall.
The Pick: Pirates/Cardinals under 8
