St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals Odds, Line, Picks, and Prediction - May 3 | 2022 MLB Season
The Kansas City Royals host the St. Louis Cardinals in the second game of a three-game set. The Cardinals won 1-0 on Monday in a closely contested affair. The win moved St. Louis to 13-9, while Kansas City dropped their fourth straight, falling to 7-14. Rookie and top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to 10 games, but the Royals lineup overall has been awful lately.
"Bobby Witt Jr. just extended his hitting streak to 10 games with an infield single against Steven Matz." - @ Anne Rogers
The Royals will send out Brad Keller, who comes in with a 2.19 ERA despite an 0-2 record. The right-hander pitched seven strong innings last start, allowing just one run while receiving the no-decision in a win over the White Sox. Keller will face a club tied for 22nd in the majors in homers and in the middle of the pack in most of the other offensive categories. The Royals hold the second-highest bullpen ERA and highest WHIP, so Keller will need to go deeper into the ballgame if his team is to pull out a victory Tuesday.
For the Cardinals, righty Dakota Hudson who threw his second consecutive scoreless start last outing, will take the mound. Hudson carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before he earned the win over the Diamondbacks. The 27-year-old improved his ERA to 2.75 and his WHIP to 1.02. He'll be going up against a weak Royals lineup that's fourth-worst in league with a .212 batting average and is dead last in runs scored. On their four-game skid, they've only been able to muster six total runs.
"Back to back scoreless outings for Dakota Hudson, who stifles the D-backs for six innings of one-hit ball. He has given up just three hits over his last 12 2/3 innings." - @ Katie Woo
There's no reason to think the Royals will break out of their slump Tuesday facing a strong Cardinals pitching staff whose bullpen ranks top 5 in ERA and WHIP.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals Match Details
Fixture: St. Louis Cardinals @ Kansas City Royals
Date & Time: Tuesday, May 3, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: Kaufmann Stadium, Kansas City, MO
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals Betting Odds
The Cardinals have won four of six, while the Royals have lost five of their previous six. This year, the Royals are also just 5-11 as underdogs, but the last win they recorded as underdogs came with Brad Keller on the hill. The last game saw only one total run, and only nine of the 13 games at home for Kansas City have also gone under. In the Cardinals' last six road games, the total has gone under every single time, and with the way the Royals have been hitting of late, this trend is likely to continue.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals Best Picks
Tommy Edman didn't play in Monday's contest due to a hip injury, but manager Oliver Marmol said he's expected to return for Tuesday's game. Edman has gone eight for his last 19, and as the leadoff hitter, he'll have four or five chances to get a base knock.
Pick: Tommy Edman Over 0.5 Singles (-140)
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals Betting Prediction
The Royals have been cold recently, especially at the plate. Dakota Hudson has been in a groove and can build on his last start Tuesday against Kansas City. Expect the Royals to drop their fifth straight as they struggle offensively yet again.
Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals ML (-116) & Kansas City Royals First 5 Innings Under 1.5 Runs (+100)