Cardinals vs Tigers Odds, Prediction: Wednesday MLB Betting Preview

Cardinals vs Tigers Odds, Prediction: Wednesday MLB Betting Preview article feature image
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(Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) Pictured: Kenta Maeda

St. Louis Cardinals vs Detroit Tigers Odds

Cardinals Logo
Wednesday, May 1
1:10 p.m. ET
MLB Network
Tigers Logo
Cardinals Odds
MoneylineTotalRun Line
-110
8.5
-110o / -110u
+1.5
-220
Tigers Odds
MoneylineTotalRun Line
-110
8.5
-110o / -110u
-1.5
+180
Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here.
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Cardinals vs Tigers odds for the series finale at Comerica Park have the Tigers installed as -115 favorites on the moneyline, with an over/under of 8.5

Miles Mikolas has been a bit of a letdown in the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation and his counterpart on Wednesday is in a similar situation. Kenta Maeda has had a lackluster start to the season for the Detroit Tigers, but his peripherals are more encouraging than Mikolas'.

Both teams have been below-average against righties, but Maeda and the Tigers' pitching staff could have an edge here.

Let's dive into the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Detroit Tigers odds and make a prediction and pick in out MLB betting preview for Wednesday, May 1.


Check out our MLB Betting Hub for more previews from today's slate.

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St. Louis Cardinals

Mikolas has a 5.91 ERA against a 5.72 xERA. His Average Exit Velocity is about 89 mph, and he rarely misses bats. He doesn't walk many hitters, but a Hard-Hit Rate in the 19th percentile won't get the job done, especially with a strikeout rate as low as his.

The Cardinals own a wRC+ of 88 off of righties and also boast a 23.5% strikeout rate and a .652 OPS. However, Maeda is great at limiting hard contact and St. Louis ranks amongst the worst in baseball in Hard-Hit Rate. That should be an area of major concern for the Cardinals against Maeda.

The Cardinals’ relief staff has done well with a 3.29 xFIP, an above average strikeout rate and a walk rate that hovers around 8%. That said, Mikolas hasn't gone past the fifth inning three times this season, which will put further strain on the relievers.


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Detroit Tigers

Maeda also doesn't walk or strike out many hitters. However, he has an Average Exit Velocity below 87 mph and a Hard-Hit Rate under 33%. His xERA is much lower than his ERA, so he should have more favorable results in his future.

The Tigers have a wRC+ of 89 with a higher walk rate and strikeout rate than the Cardinals. Detroit has six bats with a xwOBA over .320 off of righties, which should be enough against Mikolas.

Detroit has a few arms with an xFIP under 4.00, though Maeda should be able to pitch a bit deeper into the game. The back-end of Detroit’s bullpen has also been strong, which could be a boost late in the game.


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Cardinals vs Tigers

Betting Pick & Prediction

Detroit has the slightly better starter and although St. Louis usually has a tremendous edge in the bullpen, Detroit has enough to get by. Take the Tigers in this game and bet them to -125.

Pick: Tigers ML -112 (Play to -125)

About the Author
D.J. is a contributor for The Action Network. He specializes in baseball analytics and baseball betting insight.

Follow D.J. James @cwsdjt on Twitter/X.

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