Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction 8/28/26 MLB Picks Today

The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals meet Friday in MLB action at Busch Stadium. Here’s a Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction. This article will include a Cardinals vs Pirates Pick.

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 65-70 on the year and play the Giants and Angels next. The Pittsburgh Pirates are batting .252 on the season, with a .329 OBP and a .404 slugging percentage. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching staff has a 4.22 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Nick Gonzales leads the Pittsburgh Pirates with 145 hits and 56 RBI, while Bryan Reynolds and Brandon Lowe have combined for 254 hits and 146 RBI.

Jared Jones gets the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he is 2-5 with a 4.76 ERA and 77 strikeouts this season. This will be Jones’ second career game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals are 67-68 on the year and play the Rockies and Dodgers next. The St. Louis Cardinals are batting .241 on the season, with a .317 OBP and a .383 slugging percentage. The St. Louis Cardinals’ pitching staff has a 4.24 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Alec Burleson leads the St. Louis Cardinals with 149 hits and 99 RBI, while Jordan Walker and Ivan Herrera have combined for 269 hits and 150 RBI.

Quinn Mathews gets the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he is 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA and 13 strikeouts this season. This will be Mathews’ first career game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Pirates have lost each of their last 11 Friday games against NL opponents.
• The Cardinals have won four of their last five games as underdogs against the Pirates.
• The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last nine games as favorites against the Cardinals following a loss.
• The underdogs have covered the run line in each of the Cardinals’ last six games at Busch Stadium.
• The Cardinals have won the first inning in three of their last four games against NL opponents.
• The Cardinals have led after 3 innings in four of their last five home games against NL opponents that held a losing record.
• The Cardinals have led after 5 innings in each of their last seven games against NL Central opponents.

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates will win

• The Cardinals have lost each of their last five night games following a win.
• The road team has won six of the last seven games between the Pirates and Cardinals.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight home games against NL Central opponents.
• The road team has covered the run line in six of the last seven games between the Pirates and Cardinals.
• The Pirates have won the first inning in three of their last four games at Busch Stadium against opponents that held a losing record.
• The Cardinals have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last four night games.
• The Pirates have led after 5 innings in each of their last three games against the Cardinals.

Total Runs Facts

• Each of the Cardinals’ last eight games has gone OVER the total runs line.
• Seven of the Pirates’ last eight games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• There has been no run scored during the first inning in seven of the Pirates’ last eight night games against NL Central opponents.
• There has been at least one run scored in the first inning in each of the Cardinals’ last four games against NL opponents.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Jordan Walker has hit a home run in each of the Cardinals’ last two games against NL Central opponents.
• Alec Burleson has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cardinals’ last 13 games.
• Alec Burleson ranks 5th in the league in Hits (149) this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts

• Oneil Cruz has hit a home run in each of his last three appearances after not playing the previous day.
• Jake Mangum has recorded at least one hit in each of his eight previous appearances in night games against NL Central teams that held a losing record.
• Nick Gonzales ranks 5th amongst qualified players for Batting Average (.305) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Cardinals rank T26th in the league for doubles this season (190).
• The Cardinals rank 26th in the league for slugging percentage this season (.383).
• The Pirates rank 1st in the league for hits this season (1172).
• The Pirates rank 30th in the league for strikeouts against this season (1278).

Cardinals vs Pirates Prediction

I’m looking at the over in this spot. Jones has a 4.76 ERA and 1.25 WHIP on the season, and he’s allowed 21 hits and 14 runs in his last 16 innings. Mathews has pitched 14 innings this season, and he’s allowed 18 hits and 10 runs while walking seven. I expect some offense in this game in a battle of two struggling pitchers. Give me the over.