Mets vs Cardinals Prediction - MLB Picks 8/20/23

St. Louis Cardinals (54-70) vs New York Mets (58-66)

Game Info: Sunday, August 20, 2023 at 2:15 pm (Busch Stadium)

Dakota Hudson (4-0) (4.03) vs Carlos Carrasco (3-6) (6.40)

Betting Odds: St. Louis Cardinals -145 / New York Mets +133 --- Over/Under: 9.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The St. Louis Cardinals will host the New York Mets for game three of their four-game set this Saturday from Busch Stadium on the MLB Network. New York smashed St. Louis in game three to win by eleven, 13-2.

Mets Preview & Projected Starter

New York moved to 57-66 after defeating St. Louis. The Mets have now won six of their last seven games, and they’ll attempt to bring the brooms out here in game four. The New York offense is scoring 3.98 runs per game, while batting .238, with a .318 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.39 ERA, with a 1.35 WHIP.

Carlos Carrasco (3-6, 6.42 ERA, 57 Ks) will get the ball for New York. The fourteenth-year righty pitched a short outing versus Pittsburgh last week, striking out five in three innings. Carrasco has held his own thru his last two starts, but he’s been vulnerable this season on the mound, and it’s unclear how he’ll come out on the road here.

Mets Player Trends & Props

Pete Alonso has homered in three of the last four games, and he leads the Mets in home runs (39) and RBI (95).

Francisco Lindor has produced a run in five straight games, and he’s second on the team with 22 homers and 73 RBI.

Brandon Nimmo has multiple hits in six of the previous seven games, and he leads NYM in batting (..269) and hits (121), with 18 HR and 51 RBI.

Jeff McNeil homered and plated four runs in the game two victory, and he’s second on the team in batting at .259, with 45 runs batted in.

Cardinals Preview & Projected Starter

St. Louis moved to 54-70 after losing to New York. The Cardinals have now dropped four straight, and they’ll look to avoid being swept at home on Sunday. The St. Louis offense is scoring 3.97 runs per game, while batting .258, with a .328 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.64 ERA, with a 1.49 WHIP.

Dakota Hudson (4-0, 4.03 ERA, 25 Ks) will get the start for St. Louis. The sixth-year pitcher capitalized on the home spot with Oakland last time out, holding them to two runs thru 6.2 innings to earn his fourth victory. That’s three straight wins for Hudson here in August, who’s honestly been one of the few bright spots on this team.

Cardinals Player Trends & Props

Nolan Arenado has recorded a hit in seven of his last ten games, and he’s St. Louis’ leader in batting (.282), home runs (25) and RBI (84).

Paul Goldschmidt had his five-game hit streak snapped last night, but he still, and he leads the Cards in hits (129), with splits of .275/19/62.

Wilson Contreras has collected a hit in eight of the last nine games, he’s posting a line of .259/13/59.

Corey’s Free Pick

Are the Cardinals really about to allow the Mets to come and steal four games? It’s very possible, but with Carlos Carrasco on the hill, the host will have a chance to bust this game open. Carrasco has looked like their own Adam Wainwright from an aging point of view, and after being bullied for three days, there has to be some kind of fight out of this Cards clubhouse. Wake up this Sunday St. Louis, you’re on the clock.