The St. Louis Cardinals host the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 28, 2026. First pitch from Busch Stadium is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on SportsNet PT.
The Pirates are favored by -116 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Cardinals are -102 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 7 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Pirates vs Cardinals prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Pirates vs Cardinals Prediction
- Pirates vs Cardinals Pick: Cardinals Moneyline (-102)
My Pirates vs Cardinals best bet is on St. Louis to win outright. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Pirates vs Cardinals Odds
| Pirates Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +155 | 7 -122o / -100u | -116 |
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -188 | 7 -122o / -100u | -102 |
- Pirates vs Cardinals moneyline: Pirates -116, Cardinals -102
- Pirates vs Cardinals over/under: 7 (-122o / -100u)
- Pirates vs Cardinals spread: Pirates -1.5 (+155), Cardinals +1.5 (-188)
Pirates vs Cardinals Probable Pitchers
| Jared Jones (RHP, PIT) | Stat | Quinn Mathews (LHP, STL) |
|---|---|---|
| 2-5 | W-L | 0-2 |
| 1.0 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.3 |
| 4.76/3.68 | ERA / xERA | 6.43/3.12 |
| 4.16/3.87 | FIP / xFIP | 3.66/4.77 |
| 17.6% | K-BB% | 9.1% |
| 37.6% | GB% | 40.0% |
| .277 | BABIP | .378 |
| 100 | Stuff+ | 97 |
| 104 | Location+ | 108 |
Pirates vs Cardinals MLB Betting Preview
Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview
Jared Jones is having an unlucky season. His 4.76 ERA is backed by a 3.68 xERA, 3.87 xFIP, and 3.75 SIERA. Unfortunately, he is struggling in every aspect in recent starts.
Jones in August: 7.88 ERA, 5.79 xERA, 5.03 xFIP, 9.9% K-BB, 2.00 WHIP
After missing all of 2025, similar to the aforementioned Christian Scott, he may be running out of steam as the season winds down. Jones has thrown 86 2/3 IP after throwing 0 between the minors and MLB last season.
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
On the opposing mound, Quinn Matthews is making his fourth start of the season, yet this will be his first home start as a professional. His gaudy 6.43 ERA through 14 IP is backed by a 3.12 xERA, 4.77 xFIP, and 4.74 SIERA.
Matthews is a talented SP who has had bad luck, especially in his most recent start in Philadelphia. He allowed 7 ER on 10 hits, without allowing a home run or walk.
He will be facing a Pirates offense that ranks fourth-worst against LHP this season (85 wRC+) and is the worst in baseball this past month (72 wRC+).
Pirates vs Cardinals Pick, Betting Analysis
The Cardinals rank league average in this span, making up for their 94 wRC+ against RHP this season. Their main concern today is a limited bullpen.
High-leverage relievers George Soriano and Riley O'Brien have pitched in back-to-back games, while Justin Bruihl and Gordon Graceffo combined for 79 pitches on Thursday.
Luckily, Matthews can pitch deep into games. He has six starts with at least six innings pitched since June and has reached seven innings in two starts since July.
If Matthews can get rolling and keep his pitch count low early, the Cardinals should be able to handle this game despite the bullpen disadvantage.
Pick: Cardinals Moneyline (-102)
