Two of the most disappointing teams in the National League, each with a star-laden roster, the Mets and Cardinals, open a weekend series Thursday from the Gateway City with each team simply playing for pride at this point. It’s an interesting pitching matchup, though.

Nitrobetting checks out the game in this preview. Get a complete look at the game information, team and player statistics, and the latest MLB odds. We also deliver timely betting trends and predictions that help you secure the best picks.

Mets vs. Cardinals Game Information

Off to STL ✈️ pic.twitter.com/wd1htYMiAL

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 16, 2023

• When: Thursday, August 17, 2023, 7:15 PM ET
• Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
• TV: FOX
• Radio: WCBS 880 AM (Mets) // KMOX 1120 AM (Cardinals)
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Odds: Mets (-122) // Cardinals (+100)

READ MORE: Astros vs. Marlins MLB Odds, Preview and Prediction – August 16, 2023

Why bet on the New York Mets?

The Mets actually have won three of four but all that’s really available to accomplish at this point is getting to .500, but that’s likely a pipe dream with the team at 55-66. Rookies Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez got the day off. Vientos was diagnosed with left wrist inflammation after undergoing an MRI. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in Tuesday’s 7-4 loss due to his bothersome wrist.

Alvarez should be in there Thursday. He has just one home run and a .184 average on the month but 21 dingers on the year. He has joined Pete Alonso (53, 2019) and Darryl Strawberry (26, 1983) as the only Mets rookies to have 20 or more home runs in a season. Alvarez leads all major league catchers with 19 home runs playing that position and is second behind Arizona’s Corbin Carroll for the rookie lead in homers. Francisco Lindor earlier this week became the first Met to record 20 stolen bases and 20 home runs since Carlos Beltrán stole 25 bases and recorded 27 home runs in 2008.

The Mets are 35-10 when the starting pitcher throws at least 6.0 innings. New York has gone 14-1 when its starter pitches 7.0+ innings and is 5-0 when the starter completes 8.0 innings. That starter Thursday will be veteran lefty Jose Quintana.

Quintana (0-4) took the loss in the second game of last Saturday’s doubleheader against Atlanta, allowing one run on four hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out four. He has four straight quality starts after being limited to only five innings in his season debut July 20 — and continues to have little to show for it due to a lack of run support, as the Mets have been shut out in his last two outings. Quintana has a 3.03 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 20:10 K:BB through 29.2 innings overall.

Quintana has not allowed a home run over his last 91.1 innings, the longest such active streak in MLB. The last pitcher before Quintana to reach 90.0 homerless innings was Tyson Ross (100.0 IP) in 2015. In 12 career starts vs. the Cardinals, he is 5-4 with a 4.42 ERA.

Why bet on the St. Louis Cardinals?

St. Louis has won five of six but is still only 54-66. Catcher Willson Contreras and second baseman Nolan Gorman both missed Wednesday’s series finale against the A’s with injury. Gorman missed a third consecutive game on account of lower-back tightness. Despite Contreras missing his second in a row, the Cardinals haven’t called up another catcher from the minors, so the team is seemingly optimistic the hip issue isn’t serious enough to send him to the 10-day injured list.

Arenado, who played in his 1,499th career game Wednesday, will become only the 8th player in MLB history to have 320+ home runs, 350+ doubles, 1,000+ RBI, and 3,000+ total bases in their first 1,500 career games when he plays Thursday (presumably), last achieved by Albert Pujols from 2001-10 with St. Louis.

It’s struggling veteran Adam Wainwright (3-7, 8.78) on the mound, and he probably should have retired after last season. He has been so bad that the team wanted to shift the future Cardinals Hall of Famer to the bullpen but will give him another shot in the rotation with Steven Matz hurt. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Wainwright’s role will be re-evaluated after Thursday.

He is just two wins away from reaching 200 career victories, but the 41-year-old might actually have a better shot at achieving that milestone in a piggyback relief role.

“We’ve talked to him, and he understands that he’s got to do better,” Mozeliak said of Wainwright. “He’s appreciative that he’s getting the opportunity [on Thursday], but he understands that things could change [in the future].”

Wainwright is 8-6 with a 4.58 ERA in 92.1 career innings vs. the Mets. His big-league debut was against the Mets on Sept. 11, 2005, in a 7-2 home loss at the old Busch Stadium, which was Wainwright’s only career appearance at that ballpark. He only pitched one inning of relief.

Mets vs Cardinals Betting Trends

• Mets are 5-11 SU in the last 16 games.
• Mets are 0-7 SU in its last 7 games on the road.
• The total went over in 4 of NY Mets’ last 6 games.
• Cardinals are 5-2 SU in the last 7 games.
• Cardinals are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games against an opponent in the National League East Division division.
• The total went under in 12 of St. Louis’ last 17 games.

Mets vs Cardinals Betting Prediction

Mets 6, Cardinals 5.

Where to Bet on the 2023 MLB season with Crypto

Nitrobetting offers a solid channel for those who want to bet on the 2023 MLB Season with crypto. The power of cryptocurrency and its lightning-fast transactions make the entire MLB Season betting more enjoyable.

Stay tuned for more 2023 MLB season previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest baseball betting odds on our online crypto sportsbook.