The New York Mets (18-18) travel to face off against the St. Louis Cardinals (15-21) on Wednesday, May 8th. This game will be played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and televised on SNY. The Mets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cardinals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Mets. First pitch is set for 1:15 ET.
Mets vs Cardinals
New York rallied for six runs in the 5th inning in the most recent game of this Mets vs. Cardinals series. The Mets scored one run in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up six in the top of the 5th, picking up a 7-5 win. Heading into the game, the Mets were at +103 on the money line.
Jose Butto started for the Mets and went just five innings while giving up three runs and striking out three. He picked up the win in the game, while Adam Ottavino got the save. Miles Mikolas only went four innings for the Cardinals, giving up six runs on nine hits.
Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo each homered for the Mets, while Alec Burleson hit a home run for the Cardinals. Alonso, Jeff McNeil, J.D. Martinez, Francisco Lindor, and Starling Marte each had two hits and drove in a run for New York’s offense.
The Mets are at .500 with an overall record of 18-18 as they are on the road today vs. the Cardinals. New York has won two straight games, and they are 7.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. So far, they are 2-1 in divisional games.
At home, the Mets are 9-10 this year, and they are 9-8 on the road. As the underdog, the Mets have gone 8-9 this year, and they have won two straight as the underdog overall. New York’s series record is 5-5-1 this year, and they are 5-5 in their last ten games overall.
When the Mets are on the road, they are a solid bet to cover the run line, as they are 11-6 in those situations. Their average run differential on the road is +0.4 runs per game, and they have covered the run line in three straight games as the underdog. Overall, they are 19-17 against the run line this season.
With the Mets and Cardinals combining for 12 runs in their most recent matchup, the over has now hit in 18 of New York’s 36 games this season. The average over/under line in Mets games this season has been 8 runs, and the over/under record in games with a line of 7.5 runs is 4-5.
Jose Quintana Gets The Start For The Mets
New York is sending left-hander Jose Quintana to the mound today vs. the Cardinals. He has made seven starts this year and has a record of 1-3 with an ERA of 5.20. Quintana’s WHIP for the season is 1.54. In his last outing, he took the loss, going just 2 2/3 innings vs. the Rays. In that short outing, he gave up eight hits, five earned runs, and three home runs. One positive outing for Quintana came on April 28th vs. the Cardinals, where he went eight innings, giving up just one earned run and three hits. He finished with a no-decision in that outing.
Mets Offense Breakdown
Brandon Nimmo has been on a tear for the Mets, hitting .312 over his last nine games with three homers and eight RBIs. This has helped him move into the team lead in RBIs and into 9th in the league in that category. Overall, he is batting just .229 for the season. Pete Alonso has been the team’s top power threat, as his nine homers are 3rd in the league. However, he is batting just .212 for the season.
As a team, the Mets are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 15th in the league. They have been better on the road, averaging 5.5 runs per contest. New York is 8th in home runs this season and has done a good job of avoiding strikeouts, as they are 5th in the league in this category.
St. Louis is hosting the Mets today, having dropped four straight games, and they are 15-21 overall. The Cardinals are 6.5 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central and have yet to win a game vs. another NL Central team this year.
At home, the Cardinals are 5-9 when favored, and they are 6-11 overall at home. On the road, St. Louis is 9-10, and they have dropped four straight as the favorite. As for their overall record as the favorite, the Cardinals are 8-11.
When the Cardinals win, they win by an average of 2.5 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.4 runs per game. They are 18-18 against the run line this season, including 8-9 at home. They are 10-9 against the run line on the road. They have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four home games.
St. Louis Cardinals games have had an average of 8.0 runs scored this season, but their over/under record is just 13-22. Their games have averaged an over/under line of 8 runs, but when the line is set at 7.5 runs, the under is 9-1. So far this season, 69.4% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 7.5 runs, and in those games, the over is 1-9.
Sonny Gray Gets The Start For The Cardinals
Sonny Gray is getting the start for the Cardinals at home against the Mets. Gray has been solid in his first two starts, picking up wins in both outings. He went 6 innings in his first start against the Mets, giving up 4 runs, but he bounced back with a 7-inning shutout performance against the White Sox.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Cardinals are averaging just 3.5 runs per game, which is 29th in the league. Their batting average of .218 is also near the bottom of the league, and they are just 18th in home runs. One positive note for the team is that they do have the 10th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Nolan Arenado has been the Cardinals’ most consistent hitter this season, batting .287 with two homers and a team-high 20 RBIs. Over his last seven games, Arenado has gone 8/26 with seven RBIs. Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman are both near the top of the league in home runs, but Donovan is batting just .223, and Gorman is hitting just .175. Willson Contreras has been hot of late, going 7/23 in his last seven games with two homers.
Mets vs Cardinals Prediction
Our prediction for this game is that the Cardinals will pick up a 5-4 win, and with the money line payout at -167, this could be a good way to go. However, we actually like the over in this one, with the line sitting at 7.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Sonny Gray finishing with five strikeouts, and he’s projected to finish with the 16th most among starters. As for Jose Quintana, he’s predicted to finish with five, which would have him finishing 19th.
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:May 8, 2024 Cardinals, Mets