The Chicago Cubs are threatening to run away with the National League Central. If either the St. Louis Cardinals or Pittsburgh Pirates have the ability to keep pace, they’ll need to turn it on quickly. Both teams are also pushing for at least a wild card berth, and the divisional rivals will face off in an important matchup on June 11th in Pittsburgh. The Cardinals boast a potent lineup, and if Pittsburgh left-hander Francisco Liriano struggles with his control, it might not be a favorable result for the home team in MLB gambling.
You can bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The St. Louis Cardinals are in third place in the National League Central with a record of 31-28 but have reason for optimism. They have a run-differential of plus-58, which is third-best in the National League. The team’s offense has led the way with 325 runs scored, second in all of Major League Baseball. If these numbers stay strong the rest of the way, St. Louis figures to have its record improve as the year goes along. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 32-27 overall and have a solid plus-28 run differential. Their offense hasn’t been quite as good but is still strong, and their pitching has been a tad better than the Cardinals. Overall, these are two talented teams facing off.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Pittsburgh left-hander Francisco Liriano is tough to predict on a start-by-start basis. He had a 3.38 ERA each of the past two years and is a big-time strikeout guy, but has struggled this year. Liriano is 4-5 in 11 starts with a 5.25 ERA. Like usual, control problems have led to his problems, as Liriano is allowing 5.55 walker per nine innings, a terrible ratio. If he doesn’t have the feel for his pitches against a tough Cardinals lineup, it could be a long day. However, Liriano has good stuff and is capable of shutting down any lineup when he’s on, so this is a tough player to gauge.
The Cardinals will counter with Carlos Martinez, who is 6-5 with a 3.76 ERA on the year. Martinez was very good last year and has only been a touch worse in 2016, so St. Louis could have the advantage in the pitching matchup. Martinez doesn’t have the same strikeout numbers as Liriano but does a better job keeping hitters off the basepaths.
LIVE BETTING
The Cardinals won the National League Central a year ago, and even though the Cubs are off to a blazing start, the race isn’t over yet. St. Louis has done a lot of impressive things early on that haven’t translated in the win column, but that could begin to change. They have the hitting advantage and the pitching advantage in this matchup against the Pirates, but are also on the road. With that in mind, this could be a close result that could go either way, but the Cardinals may be slight favorites.
QUICK PICK
The Cardinals haven’t had great luck early on but it could change in this one. Look for them to get after Liriano early and grab a much-needed road win as they try to make the way up the standings in the National League Central.
MLB Odds: Cardinals 6, Pirates 3
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day including the major league regular season matchup between the major league regular season matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, June 11th, 2016, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, featuring Francisco Liriano, Matt Holliday, Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Martinez! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker sportsbook!
