Cardinals at Pirates MLB Odds & Picks: The St. Louis Cardinals, who have fallen to 2.5 games in back of the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central Standings, will attempt to at least not lose more ground when they play the Pittsburgh Pirates in the rubber game of their three game set when they play at PNC Park Thursday (7:05 pm ET). Jake Westbrook will try to pick up his second win since coming to the Cards from Cleveland. The right-hander is 7-8 overall this season with a 4.48 ERA, but 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA with St. Louis. Countering for the Pirates will be Daniel McCutchen. The Pirates right-hander is 1-5 on the season with a 8.18 ERA.
MLB oddsmakers at online sportsbook Bodog.com list the visiting Cardinals, with Westbrook starting, as -173 moneyline favorites with a 8.5 total. Pirates backers are getting +158 moneyline odds as home dogs.
Westbrook has gone at least six innings in each of his four starts with the Redbirds, but he's only earned one victory. He took a hard-luck defeat in his most recent, allowing three runs in six innings while striking out seven Giants.
McCutchen will start in place of scheduled starter Jeff Karstens who was scratched because of arm fatigue. In his last nine relief appearances McCutchen has posted a 1.74 ERA and has eight strikeouts.
Neil Walker drove in three runs to lead the Pirates in a 4-3 win over the Cardinals on Tuesday, as -240 favorites. That game's seven runs went as a PUSH against the posted seven total set at Bodog. Joel Hanrahan tossed just over one inning of relief for the win, and Evan Meek closed out the ninth for his second save. Adam Wainwright allowed seven hits and four earned runs over his seven innings in the Cardinals loss.
MLB Picks: Westbrook is hungry and should pick up a win for the Cards in this one. We like St. Louis as a -174 road favorite.
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