MLB matchup analysis

Cardinals vs Giants Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at Oracle Park · 3:45 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Cardinals vs Giants

Lab Rating
5.0/10
Model lean
Cardinals 64.5%
Market probability
52.3%
Model edge
+12.2%
Best moneyline
-112
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
64.5%
Market
52.3%

The case for St. Louis Cardinals

Starting pitcher edge: 8 points
LyDia gives Andre Pallante a 8-point edge over Blade Tidwell, driven mainly by expected innings (5.5 vs 4.7) and BB/9 (2.8 vs 3.6).
Bats are hot: +0.010 wOBA
St. Louis Cardinals is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days. Recent form is context, not a model input, but it points the same way here.

The case for San Francisco Giants

Their bats are hot: +0.019 wOBA
San Francisco Giants is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days.
Team strength favors San Francisco Giants
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's own team-strength model has San Francisco Giants ahead (50.2% to 48.4%). The pick still comes from St. Louis Cardinals once the pitcher and bullpen terms are applied.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 5.0/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 8.7/10
The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen comes in high risk. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.
Opponent is swinging it
The other lineup is +0.019 wOBA above its season form over the last 15 days.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 4.74/10
LyDia leans toward St. Louis Cardinals, but not strongly enough to earn full conviction credit.
Pitching plan: 22.67/40
Andre Pallante rates 67 on LyDia's pitcher score, judged on its own merits (50-80 is the credited range). That is a strong start on its own, and it earns most or all of the available credit here.
Offense: 22.9/50
St. Louis Cardinals's recent form does not clearly outpace San Francisco Giants's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 48.4%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes St. Louis Cardinals 48.4% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 9 points
The pitcher-score gap favors St. Louis Cardinals by 9 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: -0.018
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward San Francisco Giants. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 48.4% -> 64.5%
Team strength alone had St. Louis Cardinals at 48.4%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 64.5% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict LyDia passes. The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Read the full model output

The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.

Game information

MatchupSt. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants
DateWednesday, September 9, 2026
First pitch3:45 PM ET
VenueOracle Park
Starting pitchersAndre Pallante vs Blade Tidwell
WeatherGame-time forecast: 92°F, 1% precipitation chance, 4 mph wind from NE.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Andre PallanteCardinals · RHP
vs
Blade TidwellGiants · RHP
MetricCardinalsGiants
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings5⅔4⅔
ThrowsRR
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)6759
ERA (lower is better)3.524.43
WHIP (lower is better)1.241.23
K/9 (higher is better)6.47.7
K-BB% (higher is better)9.5%10.8%
K% (higher is better)17.1%20.5%
BB% (lower is better)7.6%9.7%
BB/9 (lower is better)2.83.6
HR/9 (lower is better)0.61.0
Ground-ball rate62.2%35.2%
Fly-ball rate37.8%64.8%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Andre Pallante a 8-point edge over Blade Tidwell, driven mainly by expected innings (5.5 vs 4.7) and BB/9 (2.8 vs 3.6).

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Andre Pallante strikeouts
3.8 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · +0.3K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 3.5K · O -110 / U -108 · 5 books
Blade Tidwell strikeouts
3.4 LyDia projected Ks
Official pick: UNDER 4.5K · -1.1K difference
Market 4.5K · O -105 / U -120 · 5 books

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Cardinals are 4-6 in their last 10 and averaging 5.5 runs per game over the last 15 days; Giants are 6-4 in their last 10 and averaging 5.5 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Cardinals carry the better run differential per game (-0.08 against -0.50).

MetricCardinalsGiants
Last 104-66-4
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)4-6 on the road6-4 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7310.760
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3210.333
Runs per game, last 15 days5.55.5
K% last 15 days (lower is better)21.8%21.6%

Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.

30-day offense

Full offense tool →
Last 30 daysCardinalsGiants
OPS0.721 (+0.019 vs szn)0.719
Runs per game5.10 (+0.593 vs szn)4.34 (+0.188 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.319 (+0.007 vs szn)0.317
K% (lower is better)22.5% (+1.8% vs szn)22.6% (+1.3% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Cardinals have been the better offense, 0.319 wOBA to 0.317.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricCardinalsGiants
Record72-7461-85
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.08-0.50
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.534.18
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.614.68
Season OPS0.7020.716
K% season (lower is better)20.7%21.4%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.6960.732

Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Cardinals and Giants are highlighted.

Cardinals
Combined risk
8.7 High risk
Fatigue
8.1 Tired
Efficiency
3.8 Below average
Giants
Combined risk
8.1 Tired
Fatigue
7.4 Tired
Efficiency
3.7 Below average

Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.

MetricCardinalsGiants
Fatigue8.1/10, Tired7.4/10, Tired
Efficiency3.8/10, Below average3.7/10, Below average
Combined risk8.7/10, High risk8.1/10, Tired
Relief innings, last 7 days33.027.0
Back-to-back arms94
7-day ERA5.455.33
7-day WHIP1.611.70

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
LyDia projection
9.0
Market total
8.5
Projected away runs
5.3
Projected home runs
4.0
Over price
+100
Under price
-125
St. Louis Cardinals team total
5.3 projected
Line 4.5 · O +115 / U -135
Over research lean (+0.8)
San Francisco Giants team total
4.0 projected
Line 3.5 · O -121 / U +100
No team-total lean

The model and market are close. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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