The San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals collide on Tuesday night in the second contest of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. The Cards took the first game last night with a 6-3 victory and oddsmakers expect them to win again today with MLB betting lines installing St. Louis as a -130 home fave.
Here are our best free Padres vs. Cardinals MLB picks and predictions for May 31, with the opening pitch scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET.
Padres vs Cardinals odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
This line hit the board with the Cardinals installed as -125 favorites with the Over/Under at 8.5. As of noon ET, the total has stayed steady while the line has been bouncing between the opening number of -125 and -130.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until first pitch and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Padres vs Cardinals predictions
- Prediction: Cardinals ML (-125)
- Prediction: Over 8.5 (+100)
- Best bet: Goldschmidt Over 1.5 TB (+125)
Picks made on 5/31/2022 at 12:05 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Padres vs Cardinals game info
• Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
• Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2022
• First pitch: 7:45 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports San Diego, Bally Sports Midwest
Padres vs Cardinals betting preview
Starting pitchers
Blake Snell (0-2, 6.00 ERA): The lefty suffered an abductor injury just before his first scheduled start of the year on April 10. He ended up sidelined until 13 days ago, when he made his season debut and allowed three runs while throwing a whopping 84 pitches in just 3 2-3 innings. In his second start last week he allowed three hits and three runs while fanning seven batters in 5 1-3 innings against the Brewers.
The 2018 AL Cy Young winner played in his first season with the Padres last year, logging a 4.20 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP and 170 punchouts through 128 2-3 innings of work.
Adam Wainwright (5-4, 3.12 ERA): The 40-year-old continues to be an effective (if somewhat limited) starter after 18 seasons with the Cardinals. Wainwright has pitched to a 1.29 WHIP with a .246 OBA in nine starts this year but is fresh off a rough outing versus the Brewers last Thursday when he surrendered 10 hits and four runs in five innings.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Padres: Will Myers LF (Questionable), Fernando Tatis SS (Out), Pierce Johnson RP (Out).
Cardinals: Dylan Carlson OF (Out), Tyler O'Neill OF (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Cardinals are 17-5 in their last 22 games versus a left-handed starter. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Cardinals
Padres vs Cardinals picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
Both of these teams have looked good this season but are sitting in second place in their respective divisions. The Cards have won seven of their last 10 but are still four games behind the Brewers in the NL Central, while the Padres are 30-18 but trail the World Series favorite Dodgers by three games in the NL West.
There are question marks about both veteran starters today. Padres lefty Blake Snell was a bit of a disappointment in his first season in San Diego last year and he'll be making just his third start of the year after missing more than a month with an abductor injury. He didn't impress in either of his first two starts, getting taken deep into pitch counts and having a tough time making it out of innings unscathed.
The Cards will have Adam Wainwright on the mound and the veteran has been a bit of a mixed bag this season. While he generates weak contact, he also has an extremely low whiff rate and by turning 41 in August he's clearly on the decline of his career.
When it comes to hitting, St. Louis has the advantage. The Cards are tied for eighth in the majors with an OPS of .720 and have bumped that number up to .757 over the last 30 days. They've also been mashing against southpaws like Snell, boasting an MLB-best OPS of .827 against left-handers.
The Padres have an OPS of .670 with that number dropping to .641 over the last 30 days. Although Manny Machado (slashing .353/.432/.572) has emerged as the NL MVP favorite, the rest of the lineup has struggled and could really use Fernando Tatis Jr., who is expected to return sometime next month.
With the Cardinals 17-5 in their last 22 games against a left-handed starter, we'll back the better hitting team at home.
Prediction: Cardinals moneyline (-125 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
We mentioned that we're not completely sold on either pitcher in this matchup so it shouldn't be a surprise that we're leaning towards the Over 8.5 today. The Cardinals are plating an impressive 5.25 runs per game this month.
While the Padres haven't been quite as productive at the dish, some of that is due to the pitcher-friendly confines of their home ballpark. Their .691 OPS on the road is far better than their .645 OPS at home and they plate an average of 5.20 runs per game in away contests.
The Over is 12-5-1 in the Padres' last 18 road games while going 5-2-1 in the Cardinals' previous eight contests at home. With a brisk breeze also blowing towards the outfield at about 14 mph, we're taking the Over today.
Prediction: Over 8.5 (+100 at Caesars)
Best bet
The Cardinals' offense has been powered by Paul Goldschmidt, who is on a 21-game hitting streak and is slashing an incredible .406/.465/.822 in May.
The six-time All-Star has been far better at home than away this season (1.202 OPS to .887) and has been crushing southpaws, going 17-33 with three homers and six doubles.
With Goldy racking up at least a pair of total bases in seven of his last eight games, we're taking the Over 1.5 on his total bases.
Pick: Paul Goldschmidt Over 1.5 total bases (+125)
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