Cardinals vs Padres Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today's MLB Game

Jason Ence - Contributor at Covers.com
Jason Ence • Betting Analyst 13+ years betting experience
Updated: May 9, 2026 , 04:27 PM ET • 4 min read

Offense has been hard to come by for the Padres of late, and Dustin May will aim to keep them silenced as the Cardinals push to lock up the series.

MLB

May 09 • 7:15 PM ET
STL
54 %
SD
46 %
EXPERT PICK - MONEYLINE
St. Louis +125 St. Louis +125
See Today's Picks
Dustin May St. Louis Cardinals MLB
Photo By - Reuters Connect. St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) delivers a pitch.

The St. Louis Cardinals look to clinch the series on Saturday as they take on the San Diego Padres.

Despite being underdogs in each of the first two matchups, St. Louis has come out on top both times, with both games also staying under the total.

My Cardinals vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks explain why I’m backing both those trends to continue on Saturday, May 9.

Who will win Cardinals vs Padres today: Cardinals moneyline (+125)

Dustin May has shown an impressive uptick in velocity this season compared to last, and has posted multiple quality starts over the past month.

The San Diego Padres rank dead last in BABIP the past two weeks. They also have the fifth-lowest xwOBA while hitting just .213 as a team during that span, leading to a wRC+ of 84.

The St. Louis Cardinals rank Top 10 in ISO and wRC+ the last two weeks, and should put up runs against a regressing Randy Vasquez.

His underlying metrics aren’t great, he’s struggling to avoid barrels, and he’s allowed 12 earned in his last 21 ⅔ IP.

Covers COVERS INTEL: After relying heavily on a sinker/sweeper combo in 2025, May is showing a more versatile arsenal with four pitches featuring usage rates of 18% or more.

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Cardinals vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-125)

The month of May has not been kind to the Padres offensively. They rank 26th in SLG, 29th in xwOBA, and are hitting just .194 at the plate.

Finding runs against May won’t be easy. He ranks in the 87th percentile in walk rate and 83rd percentile in barrel rate, and has allowed just eight earned in his last five starts.

The Cardinals have scored just eight runs in this series, while the Padres have managed just one in two games.

Vasquez will allow a few before he exits, but not enough to push this total north of the number.

Jason Ence's 2026 Transparency Record
  • ML/RL bets: 4-6, -2.67 units
  • Over/Under bets: 7-3, +3.91 units

Cardinals vs Padres odds

  • Moneyline: Cardinals +127 | Padres -133
  • Run line: Cardinals +1.5 (-163) | Padres -1.5 (+156)
  • Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+117) | Under 8.5 (-122)

Cardinals vs Padres trend

The San Diego Padres have hit the Team Total Under in 9 of their last 12 games (+5.45 Units / 37% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Padres.

How to watch Cardinals vs Padres and game info

Location Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date Saturday, May 9, 2026
First pitch 7:15 p.m. ET
TV FOX
Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May
(3-3, 5.16 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez
(3-1, 3.20 ERA)

Cardinals vs Padres latest injuries

Cardinals vs Padres weather

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Jason Ence - Covers
Betting Analyst

Jason has been hooked on football since watching Real Madrid and Manchester United in the 2003 Champions League, and has been betting on the sport for nearly 15 years. He has given soccer gambling and fantasy advice for nearly a decade, writing for sites including Rotowire, SB Nation, and The TwinSpires Edge.

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