Padres vs. Cardinals Prediction, Odds & Best Bets: San Diego Gets a Satisfactory Start

San Diego was behind the 8-ball from the off yesterday with Yu Darvish struggling, but we expect the Padres to bounce back tonight in St. Louis.
Padres vs. Cardinals Prediction, Odds & Best Bets: Friday, July 25
Pictured: San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (27) walks through the dugout as we make our Padres vs. Cardinals prediction. Photo by Denis Poroy via Imagn Images.

San Diego stumbled against St. Louis to open the series, but my Padres vs. Cardinals prediction expects the visitors to get back to their winning ways tonight.

First pitch from Busch Stadium in St. Louis is set for 7:15 p.m. ET (FDSN Midwest, Padres Television Network). The best sports betting sites list San Diego as a -130 betting favorite to bounce back on the road.

My Padres vs. Cardinals best bets believe Luis Arraez will be key to the visitors' success tonight as they keep scoring at a high clip.

  • Padres vs. Cardinals prediction: Padres to win (-130 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Best Padres vs. Cardinals player props: Luis Arraez to record 2+ hits (+105 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

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✅ Padres vs. Cardinals prediction: Padres to win (-130 via BetMGM)

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My Padres vs. Cardinals prediction doesn't see how St. Louis won the series opener as a sustainable method for a mediocre offensive ballclub.

The Cardinals clubbed three homers on Thursday night to lift them past the Padres, 9-7. However, they're facing a much better pitcher tonight - Nick Pavetta (2.81 ERA) - and long balls have simply not been their M.O. this season. St. Louis ranks 21st in the big leagues in home runs with 103 on the year.

San Diego's offense hasn't been better than the Cardinals' as of late, but the visitors do have a significant edge in the pitching department tonight.

Miles Mikolas is on track to put together back-to-back bad seasons for St. Louis, so much so that even his home splits are unfavorable. The 36-year-old has a 4.19 ERA at Busch Stadium and a 5.20 ERA on the season altogether. He's been getting mashed recently, giving up five-plus runs in three of his last four starts.

My Padres vs. Cardinals best bet sides with the sluggers who've fared well historically against Mikolas. I'm expecting San Diego to bounce back in a big way.

💰 Best Padres vs. Cardinals player props

✅ Best Padres vs. Cardinals player prop: Luis Arraez to record 2+ hits (+105 via FanDuel)

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I've spoken enough about Mikolas' struggles this season - I really don't intend to kick a man while he's down. However, my best Padres vs. Cardinals player prop looks to Luis Arraez to build on prior success against the starter.

La Regadera has four hits in nine career at-bats (.444) against Mikolas, all four of which were singles. The multi-hit king has cleared this prop in four of his last seven outings, which makes me all the more confident he'll do it again tonight.

It's not often the .288 hitter's props are listed at plus-money. I'm backing Arraez to tally two-plus hits at the +105 odds offered by the best sports betting apps, with a $10 winning wager returning $10.50 in profits.

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