New York Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals: Preview & Prediction
By Ryan Murphy in MLB Baseball
Published:
The Cardinals will try to make it two straight when they host the Mets on Thursday, April 26th at Busch Stadium.
St. Louis pounded New York 9-1 on Wednesday night behind a strong performance from Marcell Ozuna, who broke out of a prolonged slump with a tie-breaking two-run single in the third inning. The 27-year-old outfielder is batting just .233 in his first season in the Gateway City and had just one hit in his previous 24 at-bats.
Was Ozuna’s timely hit the start of a new streak? The Cardinals will get an answer to that question when they resume their three-game series with the Mets tonight at 7:15 p.m.
Below, find the opening odds, key statistics and betting trends, weather forecast, and score prediction for tonight’s game.
Opening Odds
| MONEYLINE | RUNLINE | O/U RUNS |
|---|---|---|
| METS (-114) | METS -1.5 (+155) | OVER 7 (-110) |
| CARDINALS (-106) | CARDINALS +1.5 (-175) | UNDER 7 (-110) |
The Mets have their pitching staff to thank for the fact that they’re sitting atop the NL East. New York’s hurlers rank in the top five in the National League in fewest runs and walks allowed, and are third in BAA at .227.
Thor spent the offseason tinkering with new pitches and is now mixing in more sinkers and sliders with his filthy four-seam fastball.
Leading the way has been Noah Syndergaard, who’s enjoying a bounce-back season after spending much of 2017 on the shelf with a torn muscle in his throwing arm. Thor spent the offseason tinkering with new pitches and is now mixing in more sinkers and sliders with his filthy four-seam fastball. The result is a perfect 2-0 record and 39 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched.
Carlos Martinez has also been baffling batters all season with his electric stuff. The 26-year-old right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.42 ERA and is posting a career-best 1.14 WHIP.
One of the keys to his fast start has been his use of a wicked new cutter, which he worked on in Spring Training under the watchful eye of Adam Wainwright. Martinez is throwing the pitch 11% of the time and is using it to set up his devastating four-seamer.
Team Stats
| 15-7 (8-3 Away) | RECORD | 14-9 (6-5 Home) |
| +17 | RUN DIFFERENTIAL | +26 |
| RHP Noah Syndergaard: 2-0, 3.29 ERA, 1.06 WHIP | PROBABLE STARTER | RHP Carlos Martinez: 2-1, 1.42 ERA, 1.14 WHIP |
| .231 BA, .331 OPS (in 121 at-bats) | LINEUP VS OPPONENT STARTER | .231 BA, .239 OPS (in 65 at-bats) |
| 3.32 ERA (12th in MLB) | BULLPEN ERA | 3.58 ERA (13th in MLB) |
| .723 (12th in MLB) | TEAM OPS | .750 (6th in MLB) |
| 3-4 (1-2 Away) | 2017 HEAD-TO-HEAD | 4-3 (2-1 Home) |
Betting Results & Trends
| METS | TREND | CARDINALS |
|---|---|---|
| Lost 1 | WIN/LOSS STREAK | Won 1 |
| 4-6 | LAST 10 | 8-2 |
| 13-9 | RUNLINE RECORD | 13-10 |
| 12-10 | OVER/UNDER SPLIT | 11-11-1 |
| Over 2 | OVER/UNDER STREAK | Over 3 |
Michael Wacha gave up just one earned run over six innings and won his fourth straight game as the Cardinals cruised past the Mets 9-1.
Weather Forecast at Opening Pitch
| TEMPERATURE | 67° |
| HUMIDITY | 38% |
| WIND SPEED | NNW 6 mph |
| P.O.P. | 0% |
Score Prediction
| METS | 2 |
| CARDINALS | 4 |
Tonight’s match-up has all the makings of a classic pitcher’s duel with a pair of hurlers who have been throwing smoke all season long. And while Syndergaard has been sensational in 2018, Martinez has been even better.
The 5’11” righty is coming off of a pair of shut-outs against the Reds and has given up just five hits in his last 13 innings logged. The Cardinals have won the last four times he’s taken the mound and that trend should continue tonight in St. Louis.
Former Sports Writer
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
