Pirates vs. Cardinals odds, Paul Skenes props: 2024 MLB picks, July 23 predictions, bets by proven model

Overwhelming Rookie of the Year favorite Paul Skenes returns to the hill for the Pittsburgh Pirates (51-49) on Tuesday as they host the St. Louis Cardinals (52-48). Both teams are in the thick of the NL Wild-Card hunt with St. Louis currently holding the second Wild-Card spot, while Pittsburgh is half a game out of the final spot. Pittsburgh won the series opener 2-1 on Monday. Skenes (6-0, 1.90 ERA) is set to start the 12th game of his MLB career, while the Cardinals will have veteran righty Lance Lynn (5-4, 4.39 ERA) on the hill.

First pitch at PNC Park is set for 6:40 p.m. ET. The latest Pirates vs. Cardinals odds via SportsLine consensus list Pittsburgh as the -183 favorite on the money line (risk $183 to win $100), while St. Louis is the +154 underdog. The over/under for total runs is 7.5. Before making any Cardinals vs. Pirates picks, be sure to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer simulation model .

he SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It entered Week 18 of the 2024 MLB season 53-44 on all-top rated MLB picks this season. Dating back to last season, it is on a 24-11 roll on top-rated run-line picks (+877). Anybody following has seen strong returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Cardinals vs. Pirates and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks . Now, here are several MLB odds and betting lines for Pirates vs. Cardinals:

• Cardinals vs. Pirates money line: Pirates -183, Cardinals +154
• Cardinals vs. Pirates over/under: 7.5 runs
• Cardinals vs. Pirates run line: Pirates -1.5 (+116)
• Cardinals vs. Pirates picks: See picks at SportsLine
  

Top Paul Skenes prop pick for Cardinals vs. Pirates

For Pirates vs. Cardinals, one of the Paul Skenes prop picks from SportsLine's model is that he goes Over 17.5 total outs (-213). The model is projecting that he'll record 18.5 total outs.

Arm fatigue shouldn't be much of a concern considering that Skenes has only pitched one inning (in the All-Star Game) since July 11. He'll need to get through six full innings to hit this number and that has been almost automatic recently. He went just four innings in his debut on May 11, but since that point, he's gone at least six full innings in nine of his last 10 starts. He appearances to be building stamina as well since he's gone seven full innings in three of his last four starts.

St. Louis doesn't have an extremely dangerous offense, ranking 23rd in Major League Baseball in total runs scored (416) and 20th in slugging percentage (.388). It's unlikely that the Cardinals will work Skenes' pitch count too high early, making the Over the play in this spot. See more picks at SportsLine .

How to make Pirates vs. Cardinals picks

In addition to that prop, SportsLine's model also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the MLB model's picks and analysis at SportsLine .

So who wins Cardinals vs. Pirates, and which side has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that's on a 24-11 roll on top-rated MLB run-line picks , and find out.