Pirates vs. Cardinals: $1,000 Risk-Free Bet with BetMGM

Dan Zaksheske Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

The Cardinals and Pirates kick off a four-game set on Monday in St. Louis. It was scheduled to be a three-game series, but the teams will square off in a doubleheader on Tuesday as part of a makeup game from an April 11 postponement. The teams have squared off in two series already this season, with St. Louis dominating Pittsburgh.

The Cardinals have gone 5-1 in the six previous matchups, including a resounding 18-4 victory in their last contest on May 22 to cap off a three-game sweep. That dominance has them installed as -190 on the moneyline at BetMGM for the series opener on Monday night. You can head over to BetMGM right now to get some action on the game and be sure to use our promo code, VIBONUS, to get a $1,000 risk-free bet.

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St. Louis will send 24-year-old rookie left-hander Zack Thompson to the hill. Thompson made his major league debut 10 days ago, tossing four innings against the Cubs, allowing one run on three hits, while walking one with three strikeouts. Thompson had been pitching in AAA for the Memphis Redbirds and had posted a 2-2 record with a 4.67 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 44.1 innings prior to his call up to The Show.

He’s a former first round draft pick from 2019, and he made his Cardinals debut wearing jersey number 57. That’s significant because no player had worn the number for the team since Darryl Kile, who shockingly passed away at 33 years old. Kile’s final major league start came on June 18, 2002, just four days before his passing, and 20 years ago this week.  

Thompson will be opposed by 26-year-old righty Mitch Keller, who has struggled this season. Keller is 2-5 on the campaign with a 5.26 ERA across 11 appearances and nine starts. In 49.2 innings, Keller has allowed more hits (52) than he’s recorded strikeouts (44) and has exactly half as many walks (22) as punch outs. While Keller’s ERA looks ugly, it’s actually slightly better this season than his career mark (5.85).

Keller faced St. Louis earlier this season, taking the loss while allowing four earned runs in just four innings of work on April 9. He allowed eight baserunners (six hits and two walks) and struck out four Cards. The positive news is that Keller is coming off his best start of the season: a six-inning, one-run, seven-strikeout performance against the Tigers. It’s worth noting that Keller has allowed at least one run in each of his 11 appearances this season.

BetMGM has a number of ways to get action on this game, aside from the usual moneyline, run line (Cardinals -1.5, +100) or the total (9, -110). You can also wager on each team’s individual total – Pirates are -110 to score over/under 3.5 runs, while the Birds are -135 to score over 4.5 runs (+110 on under 4.5). Or, if you don’t want to wait for the game to end to see your wager settle, the Cardinals are -185 on the first five innings lines – Pirates are +150. No matter how you choose to play, be sure to use our promo code, VIBONUS, to get a $1,000 risk-free bet.

Several Cardinals have had success against Keller in their careers. Tommy Edman has reached base in seven of his 13 career plate appearances against the Pirates’ right-hander (four hits and three walks), while Nolan Arenado is 3-8 in his career with a home run. Edmundo Sosa has only faced Keller three times but reached base in all three appearances, including a home run. Paul Goldschmidt -- who got a rare day off on Sunday afternoon -- has notably struggled against Keller in his career, going just 2-14 (.143 average) with zero extra-base hits.

Written by Dan Zaksheske, our US sports betting industry expert.

Dan Zaksheske

Dan comes to VegasInsider with over a decade of sports media experience. After spending nearly 10 years as a producer at ESPN Radio, Dan decided to combine his two main passions into one career – sports and writing. Dan is a researched-based writer with a strong attention to detail and penchant for turning nerdy sports stats into entertaining commentary. He is an NFL expert with a strong background in MLB, the NHL, and the PGA. Outside of sports and writing, Dan is an admitted cat-enthusiast with three of his own. He is also a rookie umpire who recently began calling games for middle and high school kids. More from Dan Zaksheske