Free MLB Picks - Cardinals at Pirates MLB Odds: The St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates will play a three game weekend series beginning with game-1 Friday (7:05 p.m. ET) at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The Cardinals will send former Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter to the mound to start this game. Carpenter is 10-3 this season with a National League best 2.10 ERA. The Pirates will counter with Paul Maholm. The Pirates lefthander is 6-6 on the year with a 4.75 ERA.

Free MLB Picks Odds: BetUS.com has the Cardinals listed as -265 moneyline favorites to win the three-game set over the Pirates and -240 ML favorites to win Friday's opener with a 7-run total. Pirates backers are getting +205 ML series odds and +200 ML odds for Friday's game.

Carpenter has dominated Pittsburgh over his career. He is 10-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 12 career starts against the Pirates. The Cardinals' ace was dominant once again on Saturday against Houston, giving up just one run in the 27th complete game of his career. He struck out five in going at least eight innings for the third time in his past four starts.

The Cardinals were shut down 9-0 by the Mets last time out, as -150 favorites. The nine runs went as a PUSH against the posted over/under (9). Kyle Lohse gave up seven hits and five runs over 2 2-3 innings in suffering the loss.

The Pirates were defeated 11-6 by the Diamondbacks last time out, as +110 underdogs. That game's 17 runs sailed OVER the posted over/under (8). Ronny Cedeno drove in a pair of runs in a losing effort for the Pirates. Steven Jackson gave up six hits and five runs over two innings of relief.

Free MLB Picks: This pick is a no brainer. Carpenter is one of the best pitchers in the game and should have no trouble shutting down the Pirates. We like the Cardinals as a run-line pick -1 1/2 (-150).