The St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins finish their three-game set today at LoanDepot Park. St. Louis took the first two, and they will be looking for a sweep today with right-hander Jordan Hicks on the mound. This will be Hicks' first start of his professional career. So far this season, he's only surrendered one hit in four innings of relief pitching.
The home team will be running out righty Pablo Lopez, who is off to an impressive start this season. Lopez has given up seven hits and one run in 10 1/3 innings pitched.
"#THATSAWINNER" - @ Cardinals
Despite Sandy Alcantara throwing eight shutout innings, the Cardinals still picked up the win. With that win last night, St. Louis improves to 7-3 on the year.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins Match Details
Fixture: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins
Date & Time: Thursday, April 21, 6:40 p.m. EDT
Venue: LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins Betting Odds
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins Best Picks
Pablo Lopez is someone bettors should keep an eye on all season with the way he's dealing. With six strikeouts in his first appearance and two in his second, his strikeout prop is risky, but Vegas has made the juice worth the squeeze.
Pablo Lopez Over 5.5 Strikeouts (+120)
Jordan Hicks will be on a short leash in today's game, but he'll keep pitching as long as he looks strong.
"... It’s Jordan Hicks bump day" - @ MarmolSZN
Being his first career start, Jordan will likely struggle early, not necessarily bad enough to be pulled, but he will surrender a run or two.
Marlins to Score First (+108)
As it's his first start, it's unclear how many innings Jordan Hicks will go. Regardless, a solid first inning is to be expected. Couple that with Lopez going for the fish, and you have an easy NRFI.
No Runs in the First Inning (-122)
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Miami Marlins Prediction
Getting swept is never a good look for a team, but with Lopez on the mound, this Florida team should be able to avoid it. They have been struggling this season, and it's only going to get worse playing in a very tough National League East. However, there is a bonus if they manage to avoid the sweep: a win today would move them out of last place.
Miami Marlins (-136)