Monday, April 17, 2017

Busch Stadium

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Ivan Nova vs. Lance Lynn

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit Busch Stadium on Monday, April 17, 2017 to play the St. Louis Cardinals. The probable starters are Ivan Nova for the Pirates and Lance Lynn for the Cardinals.

The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at +123 and St. Louis at -133. The Pirates have a 5-6-0 over/under record and a 4-7-0 run line mark. The Cardinals are 5-6-0 against the run line and have a 4-5-2 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 5-6-0 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 4-7-0 against the run line

Important St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 4-5-2 against the over/under

The St. Louis Cardinals are 5-6-0 against the run line

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

04/16/17 RF Gregory Polanco Groin is downgraded to not expected to be in the starting lineup Sunday vs. Chicago Cubs
04/16/17 1B Josh Bell Rest is not expected to be in the starting lineup Sunday vs. Chicago Cubs

Key St. Louis Cardinals Injuries

04/10/17 P Alex Reyes Elbow 10-day DL (3/30)
04/03/17 P John Gant Undisclosed 10-day DL (3/30)
03/31/17 P Tyler Lyons Knee 10-day DL (3/30)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Pirates have a 5-6 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Ivan Nova has a 1-1 record with an earned run average of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.17. He has 5 strikeouts over his 12 innings pitched and he's given up 14 hits. He allows 10.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.35. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.13 and they have given up 44 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .270 against the bullpen and they've struck out 33 hitters and walked 14 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 9.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 7 batters per nine innings. They are 23rd in the league in team earned run average at 4.4. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 108 base hits and 49 earned runs. They have allowed 11 home runs this season, ranking them 23rd in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 35 batters and struck out 78. They have walked 3.1 men per 9 innings while striking out 7 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.43 and their FIP as a unit is 4.09.

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Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .237, good for 19th in the league. The Pirates hold a .354 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .308, which is good for 17th in baseball. They rank 14th in MLB with 8.1 hits per game. Josh Harrison is hitting .286 with an on-base percentage of .342. He has 10 hits this season in 35 at bats with 3 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .400 and an OPS+ of 100. Starling Marte is hitting .289 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .340. He has totaled 13 hits and he has driven in 7 men in 45 at bats. His OPS+ is 110 while his slugging percentage is at .444. The Pirates have 89 hits, including 15 doubles and 9 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 34 times so far this season and they have struck out 82 times as a unit. They have left 79 men on base and have a team OPS of .661. They score 3.64 runs per contest and have scored a total of 40 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

St. Louis has a 3-8 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 5.23, Lance Lynn has a 0-1 record and a 1.45 WHIP. He has 8 strikeouts over the 10.1 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 10 hits. He allows 8.7 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 6.61. The bullpen has an earned run average of 6.68 and they have given up 38 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .288 against the Cardinals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 27 batters and walked 15 opposing hitters. As a team, St. Louis allows 9.5 hits per nine innings while striking out 9 batters per nine innings. They are 25th in the league in team earned run average at 4.55. The Cardinals pitchers as a team have surrendered 100 base knocks and 48 earned runs this season. They have given up 12 home runs this year, which ranks 18th in Major League Baseball. St. Louis as a staff has walked 37 hitters and struck out 95 batters. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.44 while their FIP as a staff is 3.97.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .210, good for 29th in the league. The Cardinals hold a .331 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .294, which is good for 24th in baseball. They rank 27th in MLB with 6.9 hits per contest. Randal Grichuk comes into this matchup batting .200 with an OBP of .238. He has 8 hits this year along with 6 RBI in 40 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .400 with an OPS+ of 70. Aledmys Diaz is hitting .273 this season and he has an OBP of .273. He has collected 12 hits in 44 at bats while driving in 5 runs. He has an OPS+ of 116 and a slugging percentage of .545. The Cardinals as a unit have 76 base hits, including 14 doubles and 10 homers. St. Louis has walked 40 times this year and they have struck out on 97 occasions. They have had 81 men left on base and have an OPS of .626. They have scored 3.55 runs per game and totaled 39 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Pirates/Cardinals MLB game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Cardinals -133

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