The St. Louis Cardinals have jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the NL Central rivals will play the third of four games at PNC Park on Wednesday, April 29.
My top Cardinals vs. Pirates predictions and MLB picks call for Pittsburgh to crawl back into the series tonight with a high-scoring win.
Who will win Cardinals vs Pirates today: Pirates moneyline (-142)
St. Louis Cardinals starter Andre Pallante hits the mound with a 4.26 ERA, 4.91 xFIP and an alarming 18.7% blast-contact rate. Add him sporting negative pitch values on two of his three most frequent offerings, and I’m expecting the Pittsburgh Pirates to rough up the righty.
The Bucs sport a ninth-ranked on-base percentage against right-handed arms for the year, and their 45.2% hard-hit rate (per FanGraphs) is second in baseball during their current 3-5 slide.
I’m anticipating statistical correction kicking in at the dish against Pallante for the Pittsburgh lineup.
COVERS INTEL: St. Louis Cardinals rank 26th in bullpen ERA while sporting the second-lowest strikeout percentage in the majors.
Cardinals vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-110)
The Over 8.5 is my favorite bet in this game because Bucs righty Bubba Chandler has also started the season slowly, and the wind is forecasted to be blowing out at a decent clip at PNC Park.
Chandler checks in with a 4.88 ERA and 5.30 xFIP alongside a below-average 35.0% squared-up contact rate.
So, with St. Louis and Pittsburgh both sporting a league-average 102 wRC+ against righties this season, I expect nine or more runs tonight.
- ML/RL bets: 13-8, +6.29 units
- Over/Under bets: 5-6, -1.94 units
Cardinals vs Pirates odds
- Moneyline: Cardinals +125 | Pirates -145
- Run line: Cardinals +1.5 (-155) | Pirates -1.5 (+135)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)
Cardinals vs Pirates trend
The St. Louis Cardinals have hit the Over in 28 of their last 50 away games (+6.90 Units / 13% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Pirates.
How to watch Cardinals vs Pirates and game info
| Location | PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA |
| Date | Wednesday, April 29, 2026 |
| First pitch | 6:40 p.m. ET |
| TV | Cardinals.TV, SportsNet-Pittsburgh |
| Cardinals starting pitcher | Andre Pallante (2-2, 4.26 ERA) |
| Pirates starting pitcher | Bubba Chandler (1-2, 4.88 ERA) |
Cardinals vs Pirates latest injuries
Cardinals vs Pirates weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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