On the evening of September 18, 2024, the Pittsburgh Pirates will visit Busch Stadium to battle the St. Louis Cardinals. The first pitch is set for 7:45 PM under a sky of broken clouds.

The pitching matchup features Jake Woodford for the Pirates, carrying an 8.011 ERA against the Cardinals’ Sonny Gray, who boasts a 3.753 ERA. As the season progresses, the Pirates sit 12th in the 2024 NL Central Division with a record of 71-80, translating to a .470 win rate. They are fifth in the division with a balanced 22-22 record against division foes. The Pirates have recently seen mixed results, winning 5 of their last 10 games but are currently on a 2-game losing streak. Their performance splits between home (38-40) and road games (33-40) along with day (33-38) versus night games (38-40) narrate a story of consistency.

On the other side, the Cardinals rank 9th in the same division, boasting a near-even 76-75 record (.500 winning percentage) and holding a middle-of-the-pack division record of 25-25. They’ve matched the Pirates in their last 10 games with 5 wins but have won their last two. At home, the Cardinals have a winning record of 41-35, contrasted with their less stellar 35-40 record on the road. They have a similar pattern in day (34 wins) versus night games (42 wins). The team has scored 614 runs and allowed 675.

Turning to the betting landscape, the Cardinals are favored with a -1.5 point spread and a -202 moneyline, suggesting stronger confidence in their victory over the Pirates, who hold a +168 moneyline. The over/under for the game is set at 8.0. This setup indicates expectations for a moderately high-scoring game, leaning towards a Cardinals win but not heavily skewed, offering bettors nuanced options to consider.