Cardinals vs. Twins Odds & Betting Predictions - August 24, 2024

Follow On X: https://x.com/PicksOffice The Minnesota Twins will be facing a must-win game at home this season, being a decent 36-24 at Target Field against the St. Louis Cardinals, who have gone 29-34 on the road this year. Minnesota has also shown more favor against close-to-home results this season, particularly against competition that has a record under .500, like St. Louis. Illustrative of this is the recent form of the Twins as they have managed to pull off 10 wins in a span of 13 games when they go into a game as favorites. David Festa has been an encouraging sign as a rookie, in particular on recent performances and at home, where he shows a 2.11 ERA over his last 3 starts. He has been much better at command in his stuff, with a combined walk total of one batter over his previous two starts and an impressive 13 strikeouts over his last 10 innings of work. His ability to limit free passes and keep the ball in the park is key against a Cardinals lineup that ranks 20th in home runs this season. Furthermore, the Cardinals' offense has been inconsistent, especially against right-handed pitching like Festa's, hitting just .237 with a .309 OBP over the past 10 games. On the other hand, Andre Pallante comes in quite shaken on the road with a 4.82 ERA with a concerning 1.36 WHIP. Notice especially are the struggles against right-handed batters, and the Minnesota team is filled with power from the right side, with Ryan Jeffers and Willi Castro being headliners recently in how they've continued to pummel the baseball. The Twins also lead the league in OPS against right-handed pitchers over the past month, with a .812 mark. With that and Pallante likely to give up hard contact, Minnesota should be able to get plenty of runs across so long as it does not squander opportunities by not capitalizing on its pitcher's mistakes. Festa's higher strikeout rate (27.7%) and lower walk rate (6.4%), on the other hand, show his potential to overpower hitters and keep free passes at a minimum—all elements vital in staying away from big innings. With an increased rate of strikeouts, it is conceivable that he would be more capable of navigating through multiple lineups by missing bats if he should face an inherently contact-oriented team such as the Cardinals. The Twins enter this contest with well-rested relievers, which allows Baldelli some flexibility to throw the best in high leverage. A well-rested bullpen is very valuable against a matchup such as this one, where control of the game late could really make all the difference between winning and covering the spread.

Flat to -140