Interleague play is on the menu at Minute Maid Park this week as the Houston Astros open a three-game series against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on June 3.
My Cardinals vs. Astros predictions expect this series to get off to a slow start, with tonight's Under highlighting the MLB picks ahead.
Cardinals vs Astros prediction
My best bet
Under 8 (-110 at FanDuel)
My analysis
The St. Louis Cardinals have been among the weaker offense squads in the majors all year long, averaging just 3.88 runs per game on a .675 OPS — both far below the league average. The situation has become even more dire on St. Louis’ current road trip, with the team averaging just 3.5 runs and being held to two or less runs on three occasions through six games.
Tonight’s task won’t be easy for the Cardinals, as they face off against the venerable Justin Verlander. The 41-year-old isn’t the same pitcher as he was even a few years ago, but he’s still pitching well in his 19th season, going 3-2 with a 3.26 ERA over his first eight starts.
What’s most impressive about Verlander is his numbers aren’t falling off a cliff as he enters his 40s. His strikeout numbers (8.4 per nine innings) are up slightly so far compared to last season, and his 1.128 WHIP is a strong number even if it doesn’t compare to the sub-1.0 numbers we got used to during his first stint in Houston.
Nothing about St. Louis’ season has been particularly shocking, but that’s not the case in H-Town, where the Houston Astros have been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments.
Houston was widely expected to be one of the top teams in the American League and a second-tier World Series contender. The question marks surrounding the Astros concerned their pitching, while it was taken as a given their deep lineup would continue to outslug opponents.
But Houston’s lineup has underperformed and hasn’t shown any signs of improvement, as the team has been held to two runs or less in four of its last seven games.
Kyle Gibson may not be a superstar, but the journeyman has pitched well for St. Louis this year, continuing to put up vaguely league-average numbers in his 12th year. He's held opposing lineups to just 7.5 hits per nine innings, and with the Astros failing to put together big innings, Gibson should be able to keep them in check.
These teams have been crushing the Under lately, with neither the Astros or the Cardinals hitting the Over in more than a week. That trend will continue in Houston tonight.
Cardinals vs Astros same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 8
Astros moneyline
Justin Verlander Over 6.5 strikeouts
A strong pitching matchup should bring the Under in tonight, and the Astros will have the best of the battle on the mound. That’s why I’m taking Houston to win outright as a part of my same-game parlay.
I’m rounding out my SGP by looking for Verlander to go Over his strikeout total of 6.5. Verlander has struck out at least eight batters in three of his last four starts, and should find success against a mediocre St. Louis lineup that isn’t particularly contact oriented.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Cardinals vs Astros odds
Cardinals vs Astros live odds
Cardinals vs Astros opening odds
- Run line: St. Louis +1.5 (-130) | Houston -1.5 (+110)
- Moneyline: St. Louis +150 | Houston -180
- Over/Under: Over 8.0 (-115) | Under 8.0 (-105)
Cardinals vs Astros spread and Over/Under analysis
- Houston opened at around -180 at most books, and -178 is still the best line available on the Astros. You can get the Cardinals on the moneyline for +150.
- Both teams have disappointed on the moneyline this year, but the Astros have been especially bad, dropping over 17 units for backers in 2024.
- Both teams in this game have played strongly towards the Under this year. The Under is 36-21 when the Astros play, and 30-24 in Cardinals games this season.
- Over each team’s last seven games, the Under has put up a combined 13-0-1 record.
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Cardinals vs Astros trend
The Under is 9-0 in Houston’s last nine games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Astros
Cardinals vs Astros game info
| Location: | Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX |
| Date: | Monday, 6-3-2024 |
| First pitch: | 8:10 p.m. ET |
| TV: | Bally Sports Midwest, SCHN |
| Cardinals starting pitcher: | Kyle Gibson (4-2, 3.60 ERA) |
| Astros starting pitcher: | Justin Verlander (3-2, 3.26 ERA) |
Cardinals vs Astros latest injuries
Cardinals vs Astros weather
Not intended for use in MA.
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