It’s not the start the Miami Marlins had in mind.
After taking a pummeling at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels, they’re still without a win in 2024, with a league-worst 0-7 mark.
They’ll try to snap that skid this afternoon when they open a set with the St Louis Cardinals, a team that has beaten them four straight times and is a -124 moneyline favorite in the MLB odds.
Can Miami finally break through? Read on for my free Marlins vs. Cardinals MLB picks on Thursday, April 4.
Marlins vs Cardinals odds
Marlins vs Cardinals predictions
The Miami Marlins were swept out of their own ballpark Wednesday night after suffering a 10-2 drubbing to the Angels.
Like most 0-7 teams, no stats are good, and pitching is just one of the Marlins’ woes. After surrendering 20 runs to the Angels in three losses, they currently own a Bottom-4 ERA at 6.04, and teams are hitting .275 against them, which ranks 24th.
Their hitting is also a mess, with an MLB-worst .285 slugging percentage while ranking in the Bottom 5 in batting average and on-base percentage.
They’ll be visiting Busch Stadium this afternoon, taking on a St. Louis Cardinals side that just finished taking two out of three against the Padres. This was a good turnaround for them after the Dodgers took three of four from them to open the season.
After allowing 5.75 runs against LA, St. Louis pitching cut that down to 2.33 runs per contest against San Diego.
This is St. Louis’ first game at Busch this season, and the Cardinals have won three of their last four home openers. The Cards can extend Miami's misery at least one more game against a struggling Marlins side that can't hit and, more surprisingly, can't pitch effectively.
My best bet: Cardinals moneyline (-148 at DraftKings)
Marlins vs Cardinals same-game parlay
Cardinals moneyline
Brendan Donovan 2+ total bases
Paul Goldschmidt 1+ RBI
It’s been a good start to the year for Cardinals’ utility man Brendan Donovan, who leads the team in average (.308), hits, and RBI.
He had a hit in the finale vs. the Padres, part of a 1-for-2 effort before Michael Siani replaced him. That gives him hits in five straight games and at least two total bases in two of the last three.
Donovan has yet to face Miami starter Ryan Weathers, but I like the plus-money odds on piling up two or more bases. Despite being a lefty-lefty matchup, Donovan owns a career batting average above .260 vs. southpaws, so he's not necessarily going to fall victim to platoon splits.
Let’s wrap this SGP with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. His RBI prop sits at +180 and the matchup couldn't be more to his liking. Goldschmidt has crushed lefties for his entire career, batting .326 with 96 home runs in just shy of 1,500 at-bats.
Weathers, a former top prospect who has never latched on as a starter until necessity sprung in Miami this spring, has found a little more zip on his fastball, sitting around 96 mph on his four-seamer. However, Goldy can catch up. And with Donovan generally serving as the table-setter in the leadoff spot, Goldschmidt might get the opportunity to cash him in during the opening frame.
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Marlins vs Cardinals moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- Going back to last season, Miami has lost 11 straight.
- St. Louis owns a 6-4 record vs the Marlins in the last 10 meetings.
- The Over has cashed in five of the last seven head-to-heads.
- The Marlins have hit the Under is six of their last seven.
Trend to know
Miami’s last four games vs NL Central teams have hit the over. Find more MLB betting trends for Marlins vs. Cardinals
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Marlins vs Cardinals game info
| Location: | Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO |
| Date: | Thursday, April 4, 2024 |
| First pitch: | 4:15 p.m. ET |
| TV: | BSFL, BSMW |
Starting pitchers
Ryan Weathers (0-1, 6.75 ERA): This will be Weahters' second start with the Fish after dropping his season debut in a 9-3 loss to the Pirates. It's his third career appearance against St. Louis and his second start, with no record and a 3.60 ERA in five innings of work as a reliever. Four Cardinals regulars have gone against him, each with fewer than 10 at-bats.
Lance Lynn (0-0, 0.00 ERA): Lynn didn’t factor into the decision in his debut against the Dodgers, a game St. Louis won 6-5 in 10 innings. He lasted four frames, allowing four hits while tallying five strikeouts. This will be his 11th appearance and ninth start vs. Miami, going 4-3 with a 5.48 ERA, with 47 strikeouts in 46 innings of work.
