The St. Louis Cardinals (28-31) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (28-34) on Wednesday, June 5th. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on None. The Astros are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cardinals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Astros. First pitch is set for 1:10 CT.
Cardinals vs Astros
Houston picked up an 8-5 win over the Cardinals in the most recent game of this series. The Astros had a huge 3rd inning, scoring four of their eight runs. As for the Cardinals, they scored their final run in the 6th. Heading into the game, the Astros were favored at -158 on the money line.
Spencer Arrighetti only went three innings for the Astros but gave up just one hit and one earned run. He finished the game with four strikeouts but issued three walks. Tayler Scott got the win out of the bullpen, and Ryan Pressly got the save.
Andre Pallante had a rough outing for the Cardinals, taking the loss after going just three innings and giving up six runs. He did finish the game with six strikeouts. As a team, the Cardinals actually outhit the Astros in the game 11 to 10.
St. Louis is 3rd in the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by seven games. Overall, the Cardinals are 28-31 and have lost two straight games, dropping their record to 5-7 in the division. The Cardinals have dropped two straight games, and they are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
At home, the Cardinals are 13-12 this season, and they are just under .500 at 15-19 on the road. As the underdog, the Cardinals are 14-18 this season, and they are 14-13 when favored. St. Louis’ overall series record is 10-9 this year.
When betting on the run line for the Cardinals, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. They have an overall run line record of 28-31, but they are 13-12 at home. They have a losing streak against the run line on the road, failing to cover in their last two games, and are just 15-19 overall. They have been a better bet when they are the underdog, going 18-14 against the run line.
When the St. Louis Cardinals are on the road, the over has been a profitable play this season, as their games have gone over the total 26 times compared to 30 unders. The average over/under line for their games is 8 runs, but when the line is set at 8.5 runs, the over has hit at a 14-6 clip. Overall, the Cardinals’ games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season, and they are currently on a two-game over streak.
Miles Mikolas Gets The Start For The Cardinals
Right-hander Miles Mikolas is getting the start for the Cardinals today as he faces the Astros on the road. He has made 12 starts this year and has a record of 3-6 with an ERA of 5.54. Mikolas’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.32. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up three earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had turned in three straight quality starts. Mikolas has a BB/9 figure of 1.94 compared to 6.92 strikeouts per nine innings. This year, he has allowed a total of 10 home runs.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
St. Louis has been one of the league’s worst offenses this season, averaging just 3.9 runs per game. This is the 26th ranked scoring offense in the league. As a team, they are batting just .234, which is 14th in the league, and their on-base percentage of .308 is 13th. The Cardinals have been slightly better at home, averaging 4.1 runs per game.
Nolan Gorman has been one of the Cardinals’ top power threats this season, as his 14 homers are the 6th most in the league. However, he is batting just .235 for the season. Gorman has gone deep six times in his last seven games, going 10/28 during that stretch. Alec Burleson has also been a big power threat, but he has struggled of late, going just 4/31 in his last seven games.
The Astros have won two straight games and are 28-34 overall this season. In the AL West, they are seven games behind the Mariners for the division lead. So far, they have gone 13-11 in divisional matchups. Houston’s two-game winning streak has come as the favorite, and they are 22-27 when favored this year.
At home, the Astros are 17-17 and 11-17 on the road. Houston has dropped two straight series and has an overall series record of 8-10-1 this year. Their overall record includes a 5-5 mark over their last 10 games.
When playing at home, the Astros have a run line record of 15-19 and an average scoring margin of +0.8 runs per game. They have won two straight games against the run line and have a run line record of 26-36 on the season.
When the Astros are at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, and their games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season. Their over/under record is 23-36 overall, and when the line is set at 8.5 runs, they are 5-10. In games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the over has hit in 10 of 15 games. Over their last two games, the over has hit.
Ronel Blanco Gets The Start For The Astros
Houston is sending Ronel Blanco to the mound today vs. the Cardinals, and he has made 10 starts this year. Blanco’s record is 5-1, and he has an ERA of 2.44. Coming into the game, his WHIP is 1.03, and opponents are batting .176 off him this year. Blanco’s last outing came on May 31st, where he took the loss, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up four earned runs. Before that, he had won three straight starts. One of his complete games this year was a shutout.
Astros Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Astros are the league’s top hitting team, with a batting average of .259. They also lead the league in slugging and are 3rd in home runs. Overall, they are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 4.9 runs per game.
Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker have been two of the Astros’ best power threats this season, with Alvarez hitting 12 homers and Tucker at 19. Tucker’s 40 RBIs are 9th in the league. Both players have been swinging the bat well of late, with Alvarez going 15/39 in his last 10 games and Tucker at 14/39. Alex Bregman is also on a hot streak, as he has gone 14/39 in his last 10 games and is currently on an 8-game hitting streak.
Cardinals vs Astros Prediction
Our prediction for this Astros vs. Cardinals matchup is that the Astros will pick up a 5-4 win. However, with the Astros being -172 on the money line, we will be looking to the over/under market, where the line is currently sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Ronel Blanco is projected to finish with four strikeouts compared to Mikolas, who is projected to finish with just two. Blanco is also projected to go six innings, compared to Mikolas, who is projected to go just five.
Our recommended pick is to take the over, as we have this game finishing with a combined nine runs, giving us some nice value with the line being at 8.5.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 5, 2024 Astros, Cardinals