The visiting Cardinals hope for a solid performance on Friday as they look to steal a win at Minute Maid Park against the Houston Astros.

The match puts starter Kyle Lohse for the Cardinals on the hill facing Lucas Harrell for the Astros. Lohse brings a 4-0 mark to the game, while Harrell is 1-2 to date on the season.



View St Louis vs Houston Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Cardinals were listed as 150 favorites on the baseball moneyline at many online sportsbooks. The total was set at 8.5 before betting started earlier on Monday.

Power Rankings:
This game puts the Astros, most recently No. 3 in the National League Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings, up against the Cardinals, who rate a National League No. 4 in the latest survey.



How They Match Up:
Scoring stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Houston's National League No. 4-ranked scoring average of 4.7 runs per game, against a Cardinals offense rated No. 1 and scoring 5.5 runs per game in the league. The Astros have averaged 9.3 hits per game to date this season, less than the Cardinals hitters have managed (10 per nine innings).

Comparing defensive stats, St. Louis owns the National League's No. 2-rated road mark, allowing 2.5 runs per game on the highway. Houston, on the other hand, rates No. 4 in scoring at home.

The Cardinals were a 6-3 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Pirates. That made Sportsbooks of bettors who got Pittsburgh at +141 on the moneyline, while the total score (9) was good news for OVER bettors. St. Louis didn't get the job done in their last match, falling 6-3 to Pittsburgh on Thursday at Busch Stadium.

Last time out for Houston, they were an 8-1 Sportsbook as they battled the Mets at home. Moneyline bettors who got the Astros at -147 were rewarded, while the 9 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Houston looks to continue its winning ways following a victory last time out against the Mets, an 8-1 final on Wednesday in support of Wandy Rodriguez at Minute Maid Park.


St. Louis Cardinals Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
Before playing Houston are 6-4
After playing Pittsburgh are 7-3
After a loss are 7-3

Houston Astros Trends:
When playing on Friday are 2-8
Before playing St. Louis are 3-7
After playing NY Mets are 5-5
After a win are 5-5

A few Cardinals at Astros trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis' last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis' last 9 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis' last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis' last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 9 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 10 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing St. Louis


Next up:
St. Louis at Houston, Saturday, May 5