The St. Louis Cardinals will look to bounce back from a painful defeat when they play the New York Mets at Citi Field on Saturday afternoon.
Matthew Liberatores takes the mound for the visitors, who fell 5-4 in walk-off fashion on Friday night. The Mets will turn to Kodai Senga, as they seek to stay ahead of the Phillies in a tight NL East.
My Cardinals vs. Mets predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, April 19 explains why Senga’s strong start to the season should continue.
Cardinals vs Mets prediction
My Cardinals vs Mets best bet: Kodai Senga Over 5.5 strikeouts (-105 at DraftKings)
The St. Louis Cardinals have been abysmal on the road so far this season. Friday night’s walk-off defeat saw them fall to 1-7 away from home, and a big reason has been their lack of plate discipline.
In their last five road tilts, the Cardinals have been set down on strikes at least 10 times. The first two games of this series have seen them punched out 26 times, including 15 strikeouts yesterday.
And opposing starters are doing much of the damage. David Peterson’s nine Ks matched his season high, despite failing to get out of the sixth inning last night for the New York Mets. Thursday saw Griffin Canning pitch six innings while sitting down eight hitters, having struck out just 13 Ks in his first 15 innings of work this season.
The Mets will turn to Kodai Senga on Saturday, who has returned from an injury-shortened 2024 season with dominant stuff. He’s struck out 16 batters in 17 IP, notching at least four strikeouts in each start. He’s also sprinkled just 12 hits with five walks in his three starts.
Senga is utilizing a mixture of a four-seam fastball, a cutter, and a devastating forkball which has garnered a whiff rate of nearly 49% this season. He’s facing a St. Louis lineup that has Willson Contreras at the heart of it, whose 35% whiff rate leads the team. He’s also one of four batters with a 30% or higher whiff rate among the Cardinals expected to bat two through six in today’s lineup.
The bulk of the St. Louis expected lineup has a high rate of first-pitch swings this season, and current Cardinal players have just six hits and two walks in 28 career appearances against Senga. He will have another strong outing on Saturday and become the third Met starter this series to post backwards Ks at a high rate.
Senga’s price of -105 at DraftKings is the best by far on the market. It’s also a strong value play, given this prop has odds of -152 at another book. I would play this Over up to -120 odds.
Cardinals vs Mets same-game parlay (SGP)
Kodai Senga 6+ Ks
Mark Vientos 2+ total bases
Mets moneyline
After a horrid start to the season, Mark Vientos has finally seen his bat come to life. The Mets’ third bagger comes in with a six-game hitting streak, four of which have been extra bases. He’s hit a home run in each of his last two games, is hitting much better at home, and hit .300 last season vs. LHP with an .884 OPS.
Vientos also has an xSLG of .888 in six ABs against Matthew Liberatore. Throw in the 20 mph wind blowing out to a short center field, and I like him to at least put another one into the gap.
Until the Cardinals show they can get a win on the road, I’m betting against them doing so. The Mets have the advantage on the mound, including from the pen, and will be looking to stay hot in a very competitive NL East. Look for them to clinch the series with a victory.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Cardinals vs Mets odds
Cardinals vs Mets live odds
Cardinals vs Mets opening odds
- Moneyline: St. Louis +152 | New York -169
- Run line: St. Louis +1.5 (-132) | New York -1.5 (+123)
- Over/Under: Over 8 (-130) | Under 8 (+121)
Cardinals vs Mets trend
The St. Louis Cardinals have covered the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 5 of their last 6 games (+3.80 Units / 52% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Mets.
How to watch Cardinals vs Mets and game info
| Location | Citi Field, Queens, NY |
| Date | Saturday, 4-19-2025 |
| First pitch | 4:05 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
| Cardinals starting pitcher | Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 3.93 ERA) |
| Mets starting pitcher | Kodai Senga (2-1, 1.06 ERA) |
Cardinals vs Mets latest injuries
Cardinals vs Mets weather
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
