The Pittsburgh Pirates are slated to meet the St. Louis Cardinals on September 19, 2024, at Busch Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM under what is expected to be clear skies.

Luis L. Ortiz will take the mound for the Pirates, bringing a commendable ERA of 3.448 into this contest. His counterpart from the Cardinals, Erick Fedde, presents a closely matched ERA of 3.450. As the Pirates navigate the latter part of the season, they sit 12th in the 2024 NL Central Division with a record of 71-81, translating to a .467 winning percentage. Despite their struggles with a current three-game losing streak, their road performance shows a 33-41 record which they hope to improve.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, find themselves in a slightly better position at 8th in the division, holding a 77-75 record. Their home record stands stronger at 42-35, and they are riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak, which they aim to extend against the Pirates.

Betting Insights: The odds for this matchup set the Cardinals as favorites with a -1.5 point spread and a money line of -140, reflecting their favorable home record and current form. Conversely, the Pirates enter as underdogs with a money line of +121. For those looking at the total runs, the over/under is poised at 8.0, tempting those who follow both teams’ recent scoring statistics to consider how pitchers and recent forms might influence the total score.