St. Louis
Cardinals
77-81
Moneyline
+134
MLB Predictions
St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Predictions
Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 12:35pm EST at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
@
Pittsburgh
Pirates
80-78
Moneyline
-163
50%
50%
Spread
St. Louis Cardinals +1.5
Pittsburgh Pirates -1.5
Moneyline
St. Louis Cardinals +134
Pittsburgh Pirates -163
Total
Over 7 (-105)
Under 7 (-115)
Who wins this game?
Professional Picks
6 available
Professional Picks On This Game
Kit Wilson
Money pick
Blake Mitchum
Total pick
Joe Napoli
Money pick
Kevin McHughe
Total pick
Stevie March
Total pick
Carlos Nunez
Money pick
Cardinals at Pirates: Does the Pitching Matchup Justify Pittsburgh at -163?
Analysis updated September 23, 2026 at 11:02 PM CDT
The probable starters' ERAs don't show a clear Pittsburgh advantage. There's too little evidence to recommend either moneyline.
Probable starters and the price
Pittsburgh is -163 at SPF despite a probable pitching matchup that gives St. Louis the lower ERA. FOX Sports / Associated Press lists Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.91 ERA) against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Leahy (10-5, 3.65 ERA) for Thursday's series finale. Those season figures alone don't establish how either pitcher will fare against this opponent.
The Pirates' price requires a win probability of about 62% to break even; St. Louis at +134 requires about 43%. Leahy's ERA doesn't establish that the Cardinals clear their threshold, and the available matchup evidence doesn't justify Pittsburgh's either.
Betting decision
The same report has Pittsburgh at 80-78 and St. Louis at 77-81 after the Cardinals' 5-1 win Wednesday ended the Pirates' five-game winning streak. That narrow standings gap and one result provide little basis for choosing a winner independently of the odds.
SPF lists a total of 7, with over -105 and under -115. Without confirmed lineups or bullpen availability, there's no supported scoring lean. Pittsburgh -1.5 and St. Louis +1.5 are listed, but their prices are unavailable. Pass on this game.
Confidence
low
Betting lean
Pass