MLB matchup analysis

Giants vs Cardinals Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Monday, September 14, 2026 at Busch Stadium · 7:45 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Giants vs Cardinals

Lab Rating
4.9/10
Model lean
Giants 66.9%
Market probability
40.1%
Model edge
+26.8%
Best moneyline
+145
Sportsbooks checked
4
LyDia model
66.9%
Market
40.1%

The case for San Francisco Giants

Starting pitcher edge: 9 points
LyDia gives Landen Roupp a 9-point edge over Quinn Mathews, driven mainly by WHIP (1.28 vs 1.50) and HR/9 (0.66 vs 0.88).
Late-inning bullpen advantage
St. Louis Cardinals relievers have a 5.24 ERA over the last 7 days; San Francisco Giants relievers have a 0.99. St. Louis Cardinals also have 8 arms pitching on back-to-back days, against 4 for San Francisco Giants. If this is still close after six innings, that gap favors San Francisco Giants.
Bats are hot: +0.019 wOBA
San Francisco Giants 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 St. Louis Cardinals

Their bats are hot: +0.018 wOBA
St. Louis Cardinals is outhitting its own season form over the last 15 days.
Team strength favors St. Louis Cardinals
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's own team-strength model has St. Louis Cardinals ahead (45.8% to 42.4%). The pick still comes from San Francisco Giants once the pitcher and bullpen terms are applied.

Why it is not official

Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 4.9/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Opponent is swinging it
The other lineup is +0.018 wOBA above its season form over the last 15 days.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 5.94/10
LyDia's win probability for San Francisco Giants (66.9%) is well clear of a coin flip -- this is a real, stated lean, not a guess.
Pitching plan: 17.33/40
Landen Roupp rates 63 on LyDia's pitcher score, judged on its own merits (50-80 is the credited range). Average or below by that measure, so it earns little or none of the available credit here -- independent of who the opponent is throwing.
Offense: 25.37/50
San Francisco Giants's recent offensive form clearly outpaces St. Louis Cardinals's over the tracked windows.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 42.4%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes San Francisco Giants 42.4% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 9 points
The pitcher-score gap favors San Francisco Giants 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: +0.12
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: 42.4% -> 66.9%
Team strength alone had San Francisco Giants at 42.4%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 66.9% -- 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

MatchupSan Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals
DateMonday, September 14, 2026
First pitch7:45 PM ET
VenueBusch Stadium
Starting pitchersLanden Roupp vs Quinn Mathews
WeatherGame-time forecast: 82°F, 0% precipitation chance, 8 mph wind from SE.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Landen RouppGiants · RHP
vs
Quinn MathewsCardinals · LHP
MetricGiantsCardinals
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings5⅓5
ThrowsRL
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)6354
ERA (lower is better)4.004.11
WHIP (lower is better)1.281.50
K/9 (higher is better)8.38.2
K-BB% (higher is better)10.5%10.2%
K% (higher is better)21.8%20.4%
BB% (lower is better)11.3%10.2%
BB/9 (lower is better)4.34.1
HR/9 (lower is better)0.70.9
Ground-ball rate58.0%41.9%
Fly-ball rate42.0%58.1%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Landen Roupp a 9-point edge over Quinn Mathews, driven mainly by WHIP (1.28 vs 1.50) and HR/9 (0.66 vs 0.88).

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

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Landen Roupp strikeouts
4.6 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · +0.1K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 4.5K · O +110 / U -125 · 6 books
Quinn Mathews strikeouts
6.6 LyDia projected Ks
Official pick: OVER 5.5K · +1.1K difference
Market 5.5K · O +134 / U -165 · 6 books

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

Neither side is playing well. Giants are 4-6 in their last 10 and averaging 5.5 runs per game over the last 15 days; Cardinals are 4-6 in their last 10 and averaging 5.9 runs per game over the last 15 days. On the season Cardinals carry the better run differential per game (-0.05 against -0.51).

MetricGiantsCardinals
Last 104-64-6
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)3-7 on the road5-5 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7610.749
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3330.329
Runs per game, last 15 days5.55.9
K% last 15 days (lower is better)21.8%20.9%

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 daysGiantsCardinals
OPS0.732 (+0.017 vs szn)0.737 (+0.035 vs szn)
Runs per game4.89 (+0.680 vs szn)5.50 (+0.947 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.322 (+0.008 vs szn)0.324 (+0.013 vs szn)
K% (lower is better)23.5% (+2.1% vs szn)22.2% (+1.4% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Cardinals have been the better offense, 0.324 wOBA to 0.322. They are running hot against their own season line (+0.013 wOBA).

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricGiantsCardinals
Record62-8874-76
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.51-0.05
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.214.55
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.734.60
Season OPS0.7150.702
K% season (lower is better)21.4%20.7%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.6710.698

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. Giants and Cardinals are highlighted.

Giants
Combined risk
5.6 Normal
Fatigue
6.7 Tired
Efficiency
7.2 Effective
Cardinals
Combined risk
9.6 High risk
Fatigue
9.1 High risk
Efficiency
4.0 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.

MetricGiantsCardinals
Fatigue6.7/10, Tired9.1/10, High risk
Efficiency7.2/10, Effective4.0/10, Below average
Combined risk5.6/10, Normal9.6/10, High risk
Relief innings, last 7 days27.322.3
Back-to-back arms48
7-day ERA0.995.24
7-day WHIP1.131.57

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
10.7
Market total
8.5
Projected away runs
5.4
Projected home runs
4.5
Over price
+102
Under price
-107
San Francisco Giants team total
5.4 projected
Line Not available · O Not available / U Not available
Market line pending
St. Louis Cardinals team total
4.5 projected
Line Not available · O Not available / U Not available
Market line pending

The model projects 2.2 runs above the market total. A research lean still requires a setup rating of at least 7.0/10. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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