Game Information
St. Louis Cardinals (9-10) at New York Mets (12-7)
Time: 6:10pm CT Friday
How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Probable pitchers: Miles Mikolas (0-2, 9.00 ERA) vs David Peterson (1-1, 2.70 ERA)
DraftKings Odds
Moneyline: Mets -166, Cardinals +140
Total: 8 (over -108, under -112)
Cardinals Look To Rebound
The St. Louis Cardinals look to get back on the winning track when they meet the Mets in game two of their four-game series on Friday night in New York.
The Redbirds dropped the series opener 4-1 on Thursday, as they managed just 3 hits off Mets pitching. The Cards still have very strong offensive numbers as a team, but their production has leveled off a bit in the last week with an average of just 3.0 runs scored over their last 8 games.
Mikolas On The Mound
Miles Mikolas will be on the hill for the Cardinals coming off a decent start against the Phillies where he went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. The most encouraging aspect of his outing was the strikeouts and the 11 swings-and-misses he generated after only recording 6 total swings-and-misses over his first two starts.
But can Mikolas bring his good stuff two starts in a row? He’s tough to trust. He also has a 5.31 ERA in 8 career appearances against the Mets.
Peterson A Consistent Performer
David Peterson starts for New York and is coming off a quality start against the Athletics where he pitched 6 innings of 2-run ball.
The left-hander has quietly been a source of incredible consistency for the Mets over the last year. Since the start of the 2024 season, Peterson has made 24 starts and is 11-4 with a 2.88 ERA. He has given up 2 earned runs or less in 20 of those 24 starts.
My Pick
I was encouraged by what I saw out of Mikolas in his last outing, but until proven otherwise, here’s thinking it was the exception rather than the norm. The margin for error is extremely thin for Mikolas, and the blowup potential is always there for him.
Even if Mikolas does pitch well, chances are Peterson will be able to match him. That run of 20 of 24 starts with 2 earned runs or less allowed is extremely impressive, and the Cards have cooled down offensively as of late.
So I see this game going one of two ways - either it’s tied when it gets to the bullpens and the game is a toss-up, or the Mets rough up Mikolas and win in a rout.
The Cardinals are 0-3 in Mikolas starts, so I’ll put my money behind the Mets and take them at -1 on the spread to avoid laying that big -166 juice. If the Mets win by one run, this bet is a push.
Pick: Mets -1 at -118 on DraftKings (bet to -125)
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Friday on the Sports Hub STL YouTube channel. Follow him on X @GamblingDads, and click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams. Picks = betting the game - minus odds betting to win 1 unit, plus odds risking 1 unit. Leans = no strong opinion, not betting the game. Disclaimer