Written by Rohit Ghosh
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MLB Friday: Cardinals at Pirates

Friday features a slate of MLB action and it's about time. Monday and Tuesday might have been entertaining in terms of fanfare, but regular game action means one thing - attractive wagering opportunities.

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Betting Trends

Let's take a look at a matchup and what stands out.

Cardinals @ Pirates | Friday, 4:05 PM Pacific

The Pittsburgh Pirates -- assuming weather doesn't become a factor -- will host the St. Louis Cardinals with the home side slightly favored (-120) and the total set at 8. The Cards have Mike Leake (6-7, 3.12 ERA) on the mound, matched up across from the Pirates' Gerrit Cole (7-7, 4.43).

From the St. Louis side, Leake enters the matchup with 74 strikeouts over his 109.2 innings pitched this season; he has given up 102 hits. He allows 8.4 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.96. The bullpen has an ERA of 4.12. As a team, St. Louis allows 8.5 hits per nine innings, striking out 8.4 batters. They are 6th in the league in team earned run average at 3.97.

For Pittsburgh, Cole has 94 strikeouts over the 107.2 innings he has pitched, giving up 113 hits.. He's also given up 113 hits. He allows 9.4 hits per nine innings. As a team, Pittsburgh is 12th in the league in team ERA 4.19.

All of AccuScore's Expert Baseball Picks

Analyst's Pick: Pittsburgh has a slight edge being at home, but their bullpen ranks No. 23 in the league in terms of giving up HRs. With AccuScore data heavily suggesting the UNDER, the lean is on the Cards and the UNDER. St. Louis is 7-2 straight up (SU) in their last nine against Pittsburgh.

Another trend that points towards going with AccuScore's St. Louis pick is the fact that Pittsburgh struggles after wins this season. They're 1-5 SU in their last six games after a win.

Cards get the slight upset win on the road with the total staying UNDER 8