The St. Louis Cardinals roll out right-hander Andre Pallante, while right-hander David Festa takes the mound for the Minnesota Twins this Friday at Target Field. Opening pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET on Apple TV+.
Let's take a look at the latest odds and cook up an MLB same-game parlay picks and predictions for Cardinals vs. Twins on Friday, Aug. 23.
Tony Sartori's Cardinals vs Twins MLB Parlay Picks for Friday
- David Festa Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+120)
- Trevor Larnach Over 0.5 Hits (-235)
- Twins ML (-155)
Parlay Odds: +416 (DraftKings)
Remember to bet responsibly — this is a long shot for a reason.
The Twins hand the ball to right-hander David Festa, and he should be a good candidate to back in this game. The rookie has not had a promising start to his MLB tenure, but his underlying metrics are encouraging.
Even if you don't trust Festa, his punchout potential is promising. If he qualified, the right-hander would rank in the top-half of the league in chase, whiff and strikeout rates.
You can currently find his strikeout prop at 4.5, a total he has surpassed in five of his six career starts.
We are also going to back a member of Minnesota's lineup to record a hit. Enter Trevor Larnach, who possesses a .253 batting average this season.
Larnach ranks in the 81st percentile or higher in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG and average exit velocity. The former first-round pick has recorded 16 hits over his past 16 games, boasting a .292 batting average over that stretch.
If we are backing Minnesota's starting pitching, as well as one of its key hitters, then a highly correlated outcome would be for the Twins to win this game.
Festa outranks Pallante in both strikeout rate and walk rate. Meanwhile, the Twins' relief staff paces the Cardinals' in both FIP and xFIP. That just leaves the hitting, which is another advantage for Minnesota.
The Twins outrank St. Louis in runs scored per game, hits per game, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, home runs and stolen bases. Add in home-field advantage, and Minnesota should take care of business at Target Field.