The St. Louis Cardinals host the New York Mets on March 30, 2026. First pitch from Busch Stadium is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on CARD.
The Mets are favored by -155 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Cardinals are +125 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 8.5 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Mets vs Cardinals prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Mets vs Cardinals Prediction
- Mets vs Cardinals Pick: Over 8.5
My Mets vs Cardinals best bet is on game totals. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Mets vs Cardinals Odds
| Mets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -130 | 8.5 -121o / -100u | -155 |
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 +110 | 8.5 -121o / -100u | +125 |
- Mets vs Cardinals spread: Mets -1.5 (-130), Cardinals +1.5 (+110)
- Mets vs Cardinals over/under: 8.5 (-121o / -100u)
- Mets vs Cardinals moneyline: Mets -155, Cardinals +125
Mets vs Cardinals Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Clay Holmes (NYM) | 2025 Stats | RHP Kyle Leahy (STL) |
|---|---|---|
| 12-8 | W-L | 4-2 |
| 1.9 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.4 |
| 3.53 / 4.33 | ERA /xERA | 3.07 / 4.43 |
| 4.11 / 4.25 | FIP / xFIP | 3.04 / 3.76 |
| 1.30 | WHIP | 1.23 |
| 8.9% | K-BB% | 14.3% |
| 55.8% | GB% | 43.8% |
| 100 | Stuff+ | 100 |
| 101 | Location+ | 102 |
Mets vs Cardinals Preview
The Mets bullpen is also in a rough spot. They’ve been heavily taxed over the past few days, including multiple extra-inning games against Pittsburgh.
Key arms have been used frequently — they’ve had to rely on guys in high-leverage and extended situations, while also trying to protect their top relievers. That kind of workload tends to catch up quickly, especially after a series with repeated extra innings.
On the other side, the Cardinals offense is starting to show signs of life. They put up strong numbers in their recent series against Tampa Bay, with multiple high-scoring, back-and-forth games.
The lineup is extremely young — averaging around 24 to 24.5 years old — and the organization seems committed to letting these players develop through reps. Jordan Walker, in particular, is starting to hit the ball well again.
There’s real upside if this group takes a step forward offensively. The bigger issue is pitching — it’s been a major weakness and could lead to plenty of high-scoring games. If the bats continue to improve while the pitching struggles, this could quietly become one of the more consistent Over teams, even if historically they’ve leaned more toward the under.
Mets vs Cardinals Picks
I like the over in this Mets-Cardinals matchup. The weather sets up extremely well for offense — winds around 15 mph blowing out, combined with temperatures in the mid-70s. That’s a big jump from colder spots like Chicago and should help carry the ball.
Because of the back-to-back extra-inning series for the Mets, there’s also a case for a team total look here — I have them projected closer to 6.2 runs. But zooming out, I make the full game total around 9.5, while the market is offering 8.5 or 9 in most spots. That’s enough of a gap for me to back the over, and I’d be comfortable playing it up to 9 at around -110.
Pick: Over 8.5
