Mets vs. Cardinals Prediction, Betting Tips & Picks 5/18/2022

Paul Goldschmidt (10 games) will look to add to his hitting streak when the St. Louis Cardinals (19-16) and New York Mets (24-13) meet Wednesday at 7:10 PM ET, live from Citi Field. Paul Goldschmidt and the Cardinals are listed as underdogs on the moneyline by oddsmakers (+167). New York’s Max Scherzer gets the start, and he’ll go against St. Louis’ Jordan Hicks.

Mets vs. Cardinals Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Mets vs. Cardinals

Our computer pick: St. Louis Cardinals (+167) and Over (7)

Mets vs. Cardinals Game Info

• New York Mets probable starting pitcher: Max Scherzer
• St. Louis Cardinals probable starting pitcher: Jordan Hicks
• Game Day: Wednesday, May 18, 2022
• Game Time: 7:10 PM ET
• Location: Queens, New York
• Stadium: Citi Field

New York Mets vs St. Louis Cardinals Pitching Matchup

Mets Starter Max Scherzer

• Scherzer (4-1 with a 2.66 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched) makes the start for the Mets, his eighth of the season.
• In his last outing on Friday against the Seattle Mariners, the right-hander threw seven innings, allowing one earned run while surrendering three hits.
• In seven games this season, the 37-year-old has put up an ERA of 2.66, with 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .188 against him.
• Scherzer is trying to build upon a second-game quality start streak in this matchup.
• Scherzer is seeking his eighth straight outing lasting five or more innings. He averages 6.1 frames per appearance on the mound.
• He will face a Cardinals team that is hitting .244 as a unit (eighth in MLB). It is also slugging a collective .389 (11th in MLB) with 33 total home runs (17th in MLB).
• Scherzer has pitched seven innings without giving up an earned run on two hits, while striking out 10 against the Cardinals this season.
• The 37-year-old ranks 18th in ERA (2.66), seventh in WHIP (.909), and fourth in K/9 (11.3) among qualifying pitchers in MLB action this season.

Cardinals Starter Jordan Hicks

• The Cardinals will hand the ball to Hicks (1-3) for his sixth start of the season.
• The right-hander’s last start was on Saturday, when he tossed five innings while giving up three earned runs on three hits in a matchup with the San Francisco Giants.
• The 25-year-old has pitched to a 4.15 ERA this season with 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 5.0 walks per nine across seven games.
• Hicks has not earned a quality start in five starts this season.
• In five starts this season, Hicks has lasted five or more innings one time, with an average of 3.0 innings per appearance.
• The Mets have scored 163 runs this season, which ranks eighth in MLB. They are batting .250 for the campaign with 29 home runs, 22nd in the league.
• The right-hander has faced the Mets one time this season, allowing them to go 2-for-8 with two doubles and two RBI in two innings.

Mets Betting Picks & Insights

• This season, the Mets have won 21 out of the 34 games, or 61.8%, in which they’ve been favored.
• New York has a record of 2-1 when favored by -200 or more by bookmakers this season.
• The moneyline for this contest implies a 66.7% chance of a victory for the Mets.
• New York and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 16 of their 40 opportunities.
• The Mets are 22-16-0 ATS in their 38 games with a spread this season.

Cardinals Betting Picks & Insights

• The Cardinals have come away with 11 wins in the 19 contests they have been listed as the underdogs in this season.
• St. Louis has yet to play a game this season with longer moneyline odds than +167.
• The Cardinals have an implied victory probability of 37.5% according to the moneyline set by oddsmakers for this matchup.
• St. Louis and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 17 of their 37 opportunities.
• In 36 games with a line this season, the Cardinals have a mark of 20-16-0 against the spread.

Mets Leaders & Batting Stats

• Pete Alonso leads the Mets in home runs (eight) and runs batted in (29).
• Alonso is 12th in home runs and fourth in RBI among all batters in the majors.
• Francisco Lindor is hitting .232 with six doubles, six home runs and 15 walks.
• Lindor is 31st in homers and 20th in RBI among all major league hitters this season.
• Brandon Nimmo has six doubles, two triples, three home runs and 20 walks while batting .293.
• Jeff McNeil is hitting .314 to pace his team.
• McNeil brings a three-game streak with at least one hit into this one. During his last five outings he is hitting .263 with a double and four RBI.

Cardinals Leaders & Batting Stats

• Nolan Arenado paces the Cardinals with eight long balls and runs batted in, driving in 29.
• In all of the majors, Arenado ranks 12th in home runs and fourth in RBI.
• Goldschmidt has a club-leading .310 batting average.
• Goldschmidt ranks 46th in home runs and 27th in RBI among all MLB batters this year.
• Tommy Edman has three doubles, two triples, four home runs and 17 walks while hitting .274.
• Harrison Bader is hitting .223 with four doubles, three home runs and nine walks.

Betting Tips for Mets vs. Cardinals

After looking at all of the key stats and trends for this matchup, our best bet is the Cardinals on the moneyline at +167. Our computer prediction sees the scoring going over the total of 7 runs.