The Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals meet Sunday in MLB action from Busch Stadium. Here’s a St. Louis Cardinals vs Boston Red Sox prediction. This will be the final installment in a three-game series. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for the game.
Boston Red Sox Betting Preview
The Sox played the Tampa Bay Rays in their last series. Things didn’t go very well for Boston in that one, as the Sox took losses 5-3 Monday, 4-3 Wednesday and 7-5 Thursday to drop the series. Boston fell again to St. Louis 10-6 Friday, then in game two the Sox coughed up 14 hits in a 7-2 defeat. Kutter Crawford went 5.2 innings with one earned on six hits and two walks in the start.
On Sunday the starting pitcher for the Red Sox will be Nick Pivetta. This year over his four starts Pivetta is 1-2 with a 3.48 ERA and 22 Ks in 20.2 innings. Pivetta is 51-61 with a 4.83 ERA in 200 career games (156 starts).
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
Over on the Cardinals’ side, they played the Los Angeles Angels this week. St. Louis won the first two games of that set 10-5 and 7-6, then took a 7-2 Wednesday loss. In the Saturday game two against the Sox the Cardinals scored five runs in the eighth inning to seal the win. Miles Mikolas lasted 5.0 innings with one earned on two hits and a walk as starter.
It’ll be Matthew Liberatore in the starting pitcher role for the Cardinals on Sunday. So far this year Liberatore is 1-1 with a 4.56 ERA in 15 games (two starts). He’s got 17 Ks in 23.2 innings. Liberatore is 6-9 with a 5.33 ERA over 46 career games (20 starts).
Red Sox vs Cardinals Injury Notes
Red Sox SP Garrett Whitlock (oblique) experienced soreness in his right elbow following a rehab start on Wednesday with Triple-A Worcester.
Cardinals RP Riley O’Brien (forearm) has been playing long toss as he works through his throwing progression.
Total Runs Facts
- Ten of the Red Sox’s last 11 day games as favorites have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Nine of the Cardinals’ last 10 games have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Red Sox’s last six games as favorites against National League opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cardinals’ last five games as home underdogs against American League opponents.
St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts
- Nolan Arenado has hit a home run in four of the Cardinals’ last six games as underdogs against the Red Sox.
- Brandon Crawford has recorded a Double in three of his last four appearances with his team as an underdog against the Red Sox.
- Willson Contreras has scored at least one run in each of his last seven home appearances.
- Tommy Edman has recorded at least one Single in each of his last seven home appearances against AL East opponents.
- Willson Contreras has recorded at least one total base in each of his last 11 appearances with his team as an underdog against AL East opponents.
- Willson Contreras has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 11 appearances with his team as an underdog against AL East opponents.
- Nolan Arenado has recorded at least one RBI in four of the Cardinals’ last five games against the Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox Player Prop Facts
- Dominic Smith has recorded at least one Double in three of his last four appearances against NL Central opponents at Busch Stadium.
- Rafael Devers has scored at least one run in each of his last seven road appearances against NL Central opponents.
- Triston Casas has recorded at least one Single in eight of his last nine appearances with the Red Sox as road favorites.
- Rafael Devers has recorded two or more total bases in each of the Red Sox’s last nine games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
- Nick Pivetta has recorded a win in three of his last four appearances with the Red Sox as road favorites.
- Rafael Devers has recorded at least one RBI in 11 of the Red Sox’s last 12 games against NL Central opponents that held a losing record.
- Rafael Devers has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 14 appearances against NL Central opponents.
- Nick Pivetta has recorded five or more strikeouts in seven of his last eight appearances against opponents that held a losing record.
- Rafael Devers has hit a home run in each of the Red Sox’s last four games.
St. Louis Cardinals vs Boston Red Sox Prediction
I’ll lean toward the Red Sox. I could probably go either way here, though. Pivetta had a rough start in Atlanta on May 8 with five earned in 4.0 innings during a loss. He was able to bounce back with two earned in 5.2 frames against the Rays his last time up, though. As for Liberatore, he’s given up six earned runs over his last 3.2 innings across two outings.
On Saturday the Red Sox had the game tied 2-2 at one point but things fell apart in the eighth inning. I like Boston to come back with a better effort this time.