Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals: Both teams have losing records

The St. Louis Cardinals are hositng the Pittsburgh Pirates in a NL Central battle today at Busch Stadium.

The Pirates are in a solid form

The Pittsburgh Pirates are second in the NL Central with a 32-34 record. They have won 5 of the last 7 games including a 2-1 win in the opener in St. Louis. The Pirates have a 3.95 ERA, a .239 batting average, a .312 on-base percentage, and 1.28 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Bryan Reynolds leads the team with 70 hits, Connor Joe is on top with 36 runs and Oneil Cruz has 9 home runs.

The Cardinals have a tough month

The St. Louis Cardinals are at the Bottom of the NL Central with a 31-34 record. They have lost 3 of the last 5 games and came into this series after splitting the one against the Colorado Rockies. The Cardinals have a 4.11 ERA, a .247 batting average, a .311 on-base percentage, and 1.28 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Nolan Arenado leads the team with 62 hits, Paul Goldschmidt is on top with 31 runs and Nolan Gorman has 15 home runs.

Betting Trends

The Cardinals are 7-3 SU in their last 10 home games and 3-6 SU in the last nine games hosting the Pirates. They have played under the total run line in 10 of their last 15 games overall, 9 of the last 12 games against teams from the NL, and the last 5 games against teams from the NL Central. The Pirates are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games overall, 8-2 SU in their last 10 games against St. Louis, and 4-1 SU in their last 5 games against teams from the NL Central. They have played over the total run line in 12 of their last 18 games overall, 4 of the last 6 games on the road, and 7 of the last 10 games against teams from the NL.

Prediction and Conclusion

Four teams in the NL Central have almost the same record, so every game between the division rivals may have a huge impact on the final standings. The Cardinals have a tough start to June and have not won two games in a row. Whenever things do not go well, they turn to Sonny Gray, and the veteran will be on the mound today. Gray is 7-4 for the season with a 3.21 ERA, 82 K, 31.2 IP, and 1.02 WHIP. The Pirates will try to respond with Bailey Falter, who is 3-3 for the season with a 3.69 ERA, 44 K, 68.1 IP, and 1.04 WHIP. This is an ideal chance for the Cardinals to boost their confidence, and Gray will lead them to a win today.