Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals 6/3/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Sunday, June 3, 2018

Busch Stadium

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Nick Kingham vs. Michael Wacha

Busch Stadium is the site of the matchup between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, June 3, 2018. The probable starting pitchers are Nick Kingham for the Pirates and Michael Wacha for the Cardinals.

Pittsburgh opens at +142 while St. Louis opens at -152. The Pirates have a 28-23-6 over/under record and a 26-31-0 run line mark. The Cardinals are 24-31-0 against the run line and have a 20-30-5 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 28-23-6 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 26-31-0 against the run line

Important St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 20-30-5 against the over/under

The St. Louis Cardinals are 24-31-0 against the run line

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

06/02/18 2B Josh Harrison Flu is "?" Saturday vs St. Louis Cardinals
05/28/18 P Ivan Nova Finger 10-day DL (05/25)
03/26/18 P A.J. Schugel Shoulder 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Nick Burdi Elbow 60-day DL (02/20)

Key St. Louis Cardinals Injuries

06/02/18 P Carlos Martinez Back 10-day DL (05/09); expected to be activated and start Tuesday vs Miami
06/02/18 C Yadier Molina Groin 10-day DL (05/06); expected to be activated Tuesday vs Miami
05/31/18 P Alex Reyes Side 10-day DL (05/31)
05/27/18 P Greg Holland Hip 10-day DL (05/26)
05/19/18 P Matt Bowman Finger 10-day DL (05/17)
05/18/18 3B Paul DeJong Hand 10-day DL (05/18)
05/16/18 P Luke Gregerson Shoulder 10-day DL (05/16)
05/15/18 P Adam Wainwright Elbow 60-day DL (05/14)
05/07/18 P Dominic Leone Arm 60-day DL (05/06)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Pirates have a 30-27 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Nick Kingham has a 2-1 record with an earned run average of 3.75 and a WHIP of 1.00 this year. He has 25 strikeouts over his 24 innings pitched and he's given up 20 hits. He's allowed 7.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.29. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.28 and they have given up 196 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .258 against the bullpen and they've struck out 201 hitters and walked 72 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.2 batters per nine innings. They are 16th in the league in team earned run average at 4.16. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 501 base hits and 236 earned runs. They have allowed 59 home runs this season, ranking them 22nd in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 167 batters and struck out 465. They have walked 2.9 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.2 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.31 and their FIP as a unit is 3.89.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .258, good for 9th in the league. The Pirates hold a .426 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .326, which is good for 7th in baseball. They rank 10th in MLB with 8.8 hits per game. Josh Bell is hitting .252 with an on-base percentage of .328. He has 52 hits this season in 206 at bats with 32 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .393 and an OPS+ of 98. Corey Dickerson is hitting .314 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .349. He has totaled 64 hits and he has driven in 32 men in 204 at bats. His OPS+ is 129 while his slugging percentage is at .495. The Pirates have 503 hits, including 101 doubles and 62 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 185 times so far this season and they have struck out 423 times as a unit. They have left 398 men on base and have a team OPS of .752. They score 4.72 runs per contest and have scored a total of 269 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

St. Louis has a 30-25 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 2.71, Michael Wacha has a 6-1 record and a 1.19 WHIP this season. He has 53 strikeouts over the 63 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 50 hits. He allows 7.1 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.51. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.47 and they have given up 190 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .255 against the Cardinals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 175 batters and walked 82 opposing hitters. As a team, St. Louis allows 8.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. They are 8th in the league in team earned run average at 3.57. The Cardinals pitchers as a team have surrendered 455 base knocks and 200 earned runs this season. They have given up 46 home runs this year, which ranks 29th in Major League Baseball. St. Louis as a staff has walked 186 hitters and struck out 453 batters. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.1 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.27 while their FIP as a staff is 3.78.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .241, good for 19th in the league. The Cardinals hold a .390 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .315, which is good for 20th in baseball. They rank 20th in MLB with 8.1 hits per contest. Marcell Ozuna comes into this matchup batting .265 with an OBP of .312. He has 53 hits this year along with 23 RBI in 200 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .340 with an OPS+ of 79. Jose Martinez is hitting .293 this season and he has an OBP of .364. He has collected 58 hits in 198 at bats while driving in 31 runs. He has an OPS+ of 120 and a slugging percentage of .439. The Cardinals as a unit have 448 base hits, including 76 doubles and 66 homers. St. Louis has walked 186 times this year and they have struck out on 488 occasions. They have had 373 men left on base and have an OPS of .706. They have scored 4.31 runs per game and totaled 237 runs this season.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Pirates +142

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink