Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Saturday August 29 2026

The Pittsburgh Pirates travel to St. Louis, Missouri, to face the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Saturday, August 29, 2026. First pitch is scheduled for 2:15 PM ET, with coverage available on MLB.TV. Pittsburgh enters the matchup at 65-70 overall and 31-38 on the road, while St. Louis is 67-68 overall and 33-36 at home. The Cardinals have won five of the seven completed meetings between these teams this season. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free MLB picks throughout the season for more MLB predictions and betting analysis.

Starting Pitchers

Pittsburgh has yet to announce its starting pitcher for Saturday afternoon's game. St. Louis is scheduled to start Kyle Leahy, who enters with a strong 10-4 record, 3.13 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 126.1 innings. Leahy has allowed 127 hits while recording 115 strikeouts and 37 walks, and he has surrendered only 12 home runs. With Pittsburgh's starter still undecided, the known pitching advantage currently belongs to St. Louis, particularly considering Leahy's combination of run prevention, control and ability to limit home runs.

Pirates Need Their Offense to Wake Up

Pittsburgh enters Saturday at 65-70 and sits fourth in the National League Central, two games behind St. Louis. The Pirates have gone just 2-3 over their last five completed games, and their biggest issue during that stretch has been scoring. Pittsburgh was shut out twice while producing only seven total runs over those five contests. The Pirates did manage consecutive victories of 3-2 in 12 innings and 1-0 before falling 3-0 in their most recent completed game.

The season-long offensive numbers are considerably more encouraging. Pittsburgh is batting .252 with 657 runs, 1,172 hits and 158 home runs. The Pirates own a .329 on-base percentage and .404 slugging percentage. Each of those marks is better than the corresponding number for St. Louis, and Pittsburgh has scored 57 more runs while collecting 77 more hits and hitting 17 more home runs.

Pittsburgh's pitching statistics also compare favorably with those of St. Louis. The Pirates have a 4.22 team ERA, 1.32 WHIP and .238 opponent batting average, compared with a 4.24 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and .254 opponent average for the Cardinals. Those differences aren't huge, but they reinforce how closely matched these teams have been statistically despite the Cardinals holding a two-game advantage in the standings.

Cardinals Look to Continue Their Success Against Pittsburgh

St. Louis enters Saturday at 67-68 overall and has struggled to establish much of a home-field advantage, going 33-36 at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have also lost four of their last five completed games. They snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-5 victory in their most recent completed contest, but their previous four losses came by scores of 8-7, 13-1, 6-4 and 12-3.

The Cardinals are batting .241 with 600 runs, 1,095 hits and 141 home runs. Their .317 on-base percentage and .383 slugging percentage both trail Pittsburgh. St. Louis has also been less productive in terms of total runs, hits and home runs. The Cardinals' pitching staff has posted a 4.24 ERA and 1.34 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat .254.

Where St. Louis has established a clear advantage is in the season series. The Cardinals have won five of the seven completed meetings with Pittsburgh. St. Louis won the first five games between the clubs, scoring four, 11, five, 10 and nine runs in those victories. Pittsburgh responded by winning the next two meetings 7-0 and 6-2, so the Pirates have shown that the matchup has become considerably more competitive. Saturday's known starting pitching matchup, however, provides St. Louis with an important advantage.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals Moneyline

There are good statistical arguments for Pittsburgh, especially considering its superior batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and overall run production. The deciding factor is the pitching situation. St. Louis has a confirmed starter carrying a 3.13 ERA, while Pittsburgh's starter remains undecided. The Cardinals have also won five of seven completed meetings with Pittsburgh this season. This isn't a matchup where St. Louis should be backed at any price, but take the Cardinals on the moneyline if the eventual number remains reasonable.

Pick: Under 8.5

Pittsburgh's recent offensive production makes the Under attractive despite some high-scoring games earlier in the season series. The Pirates have scored only seven total runs over their last five completed games, with three or fewer in all five and two shutouts during that stretch. St. Louis has a quality starting pitching profile on its side Saturday, while Pittsburgh owns respectable season-long pitching numbers with a 4.22 ERA and .238 opponent batting average. Take the Under if the total is set at 8.5 runs.

Final Picks: St. Louis Cardinals Moneyline and Under 8.5.

This preview was completed before play on Friday. Starting pitchers, betting lines and other game information are subject to change before the game begins.