The St. Louis Cardinals will look to pull off the upset as MLB odds underdogs when they take on the San Diego Padres in the second game of a three-game series.
The Cards took the first game on Monday night, winning 6-2 behind home runs by Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan. The Padres are looking to bounce back after a rough start by Matt Waldron.
Tonight, both teams will turn to veteran starters who are looking to improve on disappointing 2023 campaigns. I’ll break down the matchup in our free MLB picks and predictions for Cardinals vs. Padres on April 2.
Cardinals vs Padres odds
Cardinals vs Padres predictions
With both teams looking for a win to get themselves back to .500 on the season, the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres are turning to veteran starters for tonight’s game.
Miles Mikolas will take the mound for St. Louis. While Mikolas has enjoyed a fair amount of success during his six seasons with the Cards, he provided more in terms of durability than quality in 2023. He pitched over 200 innings for the second straight season and made a league-best 35 starts, but he also led the league in hits and earned runs allowed.
Mikolas isn’t a strikeout pitcher and never has been, averaging 6.6 punchouts per nine innings. Throughout much of his career, Mikolas was able to make up for this by preventing solid comments and walking very few batters, but his WHIP rose to 1.316 last year. In his first start of this season, he allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks over 4.1 innings of work.
San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish had similar struggles last year — going just 8-10 with a 4.56 ERA — but the 37-year-old Japanese star is looking to prove he has more in the tank. In his first two starts, he's allowed just one earned run on seven hits in 8 2/3 innings while striking out 10.
Darvish gives the Padres a clear advantage on the mound tonight, and they also have the better lineup. Playing at home, this is a game San Diego should win easily.
My best bet: Padres moneyline (-134 at FanDuel)
Cardinals vs Padres same-game parlay
Padres moneyline
Over 7.5
Fernando Tatis Jr. Over 0.5 hits
Xander Bogaerts Over 0.5 hits
I don’t expect either pitcher tonight to stay in the game too long, and the Padres in particular should be able to take advantage of Mikolas. That’s why I’m taking San Diego to win and the Over as the basis of my same-game parlay tonight.
In addition, I’ll pick up both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts to collect hits at the top of the San Diego lineup. Both should get good at bats against Mikolas and have plenty of opportunities to get at least one knock in a high-scoring game.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Best MLB bonuses for Giants vs Dodgers
All UsersBet $25 on a player to hit a HR
get $5 for every HR hit that game! Claim Now
See FanDuel T&Cs
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
21+ and present in select states. FanDuel is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas Star Casino, LLC. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, KY, MI, NJ, OH, PA, IL, TN, VA, VT), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-522-4700 (WY), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV).
All Users
50% boost for one MLB bet
e.g. -134 BOOSTS to +112! Claim Now
Eligible USA locations only. Also, see our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2024.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Cardinals vs Padres moneyline and Over/Under analysis
- The Padres opened as a -138 favorite. The consensus line has dropped to about Padres -135, with the Cardinals at +115.
- The Cardinals are about even on the moneyline this season, while the Padres are down a full bet on the year.
- Tonight’s Over/Under opened at 7.5 runs. The total has stayed on that number with a slight tilt towards the Over, as you can get +100 on the Under at most books.
- The Over has a 5-1 edge in Padres games this year. It also holds a 2-1 advantage when the Cardinals play this season.
Trend to know
The Cardinals are 7-17 in Mikolas’ last 24 starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Padres
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.
Cardinals vs Padres game info
| Location: | PETCO Park, San Diego, CA |
| Date: | Tuesday, April 2, 2024 |
| First pitch: | 9:40 p.m. ET |
| TV: | BSMW, SDPA |
Starting pitchers
Miles Mikolas (0-1, 10.39 ERA): Mikolas is a 35-year-old right hander who has been pitching with the Cardinals since 2018. His numbers took a noticeable dip last season, and his first start this season wasn’t inspiring, as he gave up five runs over 4 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 28.
Yu Darvish (0-0, 1.04 ERA): The 37-year-old Darvish is looking to put together at least one more strong year after clearly declining in 2023. So far, he’s off to a good start, allowing just one earned run on seven hits over 8 2/3 innings in his first two starts while striking out 10 batters.
