St Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction and Betting Odds April 7
St Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview
Play Ball! WagerTalk MLB analyst Eric Pauly offers his St Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day betting preview for Thursday, April 7. Plenty of nostalgia will be on display at Busch Stadium as the Cardinals hand the ball to Adam Wainwright for his 18th season, while also welcoming back Albert Pujols.
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| Thursday, April 7 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | St Louis Cardinals -190 vs Pittsburgh Pirates +170 |
| Runline: | Cardinals -1.5 (EV) / Pirates +1.5 (-120) |
| Total: | 8 Runs (Over -105 / Under -115) |
| Game Time: | 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT |
| Where: | Busch Stadium in St Louis |
| Weather: | 53* with 17mph Winds Blowing Out to Right-Center |
St Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Analysis
The St. Louis Cardinals, one of the hottest teams in baseball at the end of last season, host the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of the season for both teams. The Cardinals will trot out veteran Wainwright while the Pirates are starting 27-year-old JT Brubaker.
St. Louis Cardinals Preview
After a scorching hot finish to the 2021 MLB Season, the Cardinals did not do much to improve their team this offseason. The Cardinals’ starting lineup, as well as rotation, has not received much of an upgrade.
39-year-old Adam Wainwright takes the bump for St. Louis after a fantastic 2021 campaign. Wainwright is more of a finesse pitcher in his old age, throwing mostly curveballs, sinkers, and cutters. Wainwright does a great job keeping down hard-hit balls, minimizing walks, and pitching into double plays.
On offense, the Cardinals do a good job with plate discipline, which should come in handy against a young starter.
Pittsburgh Pirates Preview
After finishing in last place in the NL Central last season, the Pirates did little to improve as a team this offseason. Pittsburgh has one of the lowest projected win totals in baseball and has holes throughout its roster.
Besides Bryan Reynolds, no one on the Pirates consistently barrels the baseball. When facing a groundball pitcher like Wainwright, whose strength is pitching away from the barrel, it’s hard to picture the Pirates generating much offense in this matchup.
JT Brubaker, the Pirates’ starting pitcher, is far from an Opening Day ace. Brubaker relies on a slider, sinker, and four-seam fastball to get opponents out, but I expect the Cardinals to be all over him.
St Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction
In a matchup like this, I will take the veteran experience every time. Adam Wainwright knows the pressure of the Opening Day stage and I expect him to pitch at least five solid innings for the Cardinals. The Pirates do not inspire any confidence on offense or in their bullpen. I like the Cardinals -1.5 on the run line on Opening Day.
Interested in placing a bet on Thursday’s St Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day clash? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
2022 MLB Division Previews
Sportsmemo’s content team has the 2022 MLB season covered from every angle. Before this afternoon’s first pitch, check out the division previews from JM Sports, which highlight the incoming and outgoing players from each team. Content Manager Kyle Kargel, breaks down the DraftKings prop markets for most home runs, strikeouts and stolen bases. Check ’em out!
AL East
AL Central
AL West
NL East
NL Central
NL West
First Pitch | MLB Opening Day Predictions for April 7
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. The Atlanta Braves will raise their 2021 World Series banner at Truist Park tonight. Will they cap off the festivities with an Opening Night win over Cincinnati? Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Thursday’s Opening Day games, including this St Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Eric Pauly, @slimeaction on Twitter, graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in Finance. Eric is a die-hard Washington Commanders and New York Knicks fan and enjoys watching and writing about the NFL, NBA and MLB. His favorite gambling movements include hitting a +1000 future on Washington to win the NFC East in 2020 and predicting Jonathan Taylor’s breakout season with a +900 ticket for him to win the 2021 NFL rushing title. Aside from the sports betting industry, Eric also enjoys good eats, dynasty fantasy football leagues, daily fantasy sports and playing the guitar.
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