On the afternoon of June 5, 2024, the St. Louis Cardinals are set to challenge the Houston Astros at Houston’s Minute Maid Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:10 PM. The forecast predicts broken clouds overhead.

Miles Mikolas will step up to the pitcher’s mound for the Cardinals, carrying a season ERA of 5.538. For the Astros, Ronel Blanco will counter, entering the game with a more favorable ERA of 2.441.

Currently, in the NL Central, the Cardinals rank eighth with a win-loss record of 28-31 and a division record of 5-7. They have found some rhythm lately, winning 5 out of their last 10 matchups despite a recent two-game slump. Their home record shows 13 wins to 12 losses, while on the road, they are 15-19. They’ve managed 9 day game victories compared to 19 at night, scoring 230 runs and allowing 277 overall.

On the other side, the Astros, positioned 12th in the AL West, have a similar overall record of 28-34 and a slightly better division performance at 13-11. They’re currently riding a two-game winning streak with an even 17-17 home record and 11-17 on the road. The Astros lead the Cardinals slightly in scoring with 275 runs to their credit but have allowed a nearly identical 276 runs.

Considering the odds for this game, the Astros have a slight edge with a money line of -172 compared to the Cardinals at +145. The point spread is set at -1.5, leaning towards a prediction of a tightly-contested game, with an over/under total of 8.5 points. This suggests that the bookmakers expect a moderately high-scoring game but with tight margins, possibly making it an exciting match for the fans and bettors alike.