Padres vs. Cardinals Odds & Betting Predictions - August 29, 2024

Follow On X: https://x.com/PicksOffice Pitching was good for the whole season with Michael King and Sonny Gray, who had great performances. This is complemented by their whiff percentages of 29.3%, both showing that they are good at making swings and misses to try to avoid the possibilities of balls in play that could result in runs. Over this same span, their expected batting averages (xBA) of .224 and .215, respectively, suggest that hitters have difficulty squaring anything up, which has limited any serious offensive threats. The hard-hit rates of King-29.8%-and Gray-29.2%-further support a defensive edge in that low percentage, usually equating to a lesser number of extra-base hits, thus limiting scoring opportunities. Both pitchers have a diverse arsenal that keeps hitters off balance, King with his sinker, slider, and changeup, and Gray looking to mix in a four-seam fastball with a slider and curveball. This helps them not only suppress runs from scoring but also helps them induce weak contact, proved by the low Barrel% (King at 5.6% and Gray at 4.4%). Again, both teams have bullpens that are coming off recent effective outings. The bullpen of the Padres is really deep, with a collective ERA of 2.42 over the last three games-going back to last night in St. Louis-with good arms like R. Suarez and T. Scott. On the other side, the St. Louis bullpen ranks a bit down in the pecking order but still can be relied upon, posting an ERA of 3.54 in that same span, anchored by right-handers R. Helsley and A Kittredge. Both the Padres and Cardinals come in with WHIPs measured at 1.12 and 1.14, respectively—the low numbers of the bullpens both indicate solid capabilities in their bid to avoid baserunners, which translates into less late-game scoring. The pair has also almost equally struggled offensively versus right-handed pitching, which attaches to the strength of the starting pitchers. The Cardinals, who have a very low OPS of .686 against righties, do not bode very well for the dominance of King. Similarly, it is only respectable opposition when looking at the .744 OPS that the Padres have against right-handers but is hardly considered face-on explosive, especially going against a highšky-level pitcher in Gray. Scoring is also projected to be by a low number, as recent results suggest—most recently, a game involving the Cardinals finishing in a 4-2 scoreline. The Cardinals, ranked 24th in runs per game, and the Padres, despite ranking 11th in the category, have both heavily trended towards the lower end of scoring in a number of recent games. It has also indicated that the swing of the Cardinals has merely allowed them a .230 batting average and .686 OPS, and they rank 25th in home runs, making it difficult for them to earn a number of runs. With such strong starting and bullpen pitching for both clubs, this game stays surely under the total of 7.5.