Pittsburgh Pirates are flying high on a five-game winning streak as they host the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park this Friday, 25 Sept, starting at 2:35 am AEST. If you are looking for top mlb tips, this National League clash jumps off the page with two division rivals heading in completely opposite directions.

The Pirates return to their home deck brimming with confidence, while St. Louis will be desperate to stop the rot after dropping four of their last five starts.

Who Will Win?

The numbers say Pittsburgh is standard-setter right now. The Pirates sit third in the division at 80-77 after winning five on the bounce, capped off by a 2-0 shutout victory against St. Louis on Wednesday, 23 Sept. Meanwhile, the Cardinals sit fourth at 76-81, coming off that same 0-2 loss to Pittsburgh and losing four of their last five games overall.

On the mound, Paul Skenes gets the nod for Pittsburgh against Kyle Leahy for St. Louis. Head-to-head history gives another big tick to the home team, with Pittsburgh winning four of the last five meetings between the sides, including three straight victories across August and September 2026.

At 1.62 in head-to-head betting, Pittsburgh rates a real chance to keep their winning streak rolling over St. Louis at 2.31.

Head to Head
Odds correct as at . Odds can change.
Our tipPittsburgh Pirates$1.60St. Louis Cardinals$2.35
Big tickOur tip: Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh enters on a 5-game winning streak and has taken four of the last five head-to-head battles against St. Louis.

Tipped at $1.62 · . Opinion, not a guarantee. Gamble responsibly — 18+.

Head-to-head context

Season and last-five scoring — context for the match-winner market.

3.8Season avg runs for4.7
3.8Season avg runs against5.4
51%Season win rate48%
3.4Last 5 avg runs for3
40%Last-five win rate20%

Covering the Line

The line sits at -1.5 runs for the home team, with Pittsburgh priced at 2.45 to cover and St. Louis getting +1.5 at 1.55. Over their last five overall games, the Pirates are averaging 5.4 runs scored and 3.4 allowed, holding an average winning margin of 2 runs in that stretch.

With all five of Pittsburgh's recent wins coming by margins between 1 and 3 runs—including 2-0, 4-3, 6-5, 8-5, and 7-4—there is plenty to like about the Pirates laying the -1.5 line at 2.45 if their bats stay warm. On the flip side, St. Louis carries an average loss margin of 3.5 runs over their last five starts.

Markets
Odds correct as at . Odds can change.

Odds subject to change. Gamble responsibly — 18+.

Total Runs Outlook

The Total Runs benchmark is set at 6.5, with the Over at 1.75 and Under at 2.05. Across their past five games, Pittsburgh's matches have averaged 8.8 combined runs, driven by their punchy offense that scored 5.4 runs per game.

The historical head-to-head average total between these two stands at 6.4 runs. However, with St. Louis conceding 5.6 runs per game over their last five outings and Pittsburgh hitting their stride at the plate, Over 6.5 runs looks like a strong option on paper.

Total Runs
Odds correct as at . Odds can change.
Our tipOver 6.5$1.75Under 6.5$2.05
Solid tickOur tip: Over 6.5. Pittsburgh is averaging 5.4 runs scored per game over their last five, while St. Louis has surrendered 5.6 runs per game in that span.

Tipped at $1.75 · . Opinion, not a guarantee. Gamble responsibly — 18+.

Total runs

Combined score from recent completed games · marker shows live line 6.5.

Pittsburgh Pirates games (n=5)avg 7.2vs 6.5
211.2
St. Louis Cardinals games (n=5)avg 7vs 6.5
211.2
H2H meetings (n=5)avg 6vs 6.5
211.2

Hit rate vs 6.5

Pittsburgh Piratesn=5
Over 40%Under 60%
St. Louis Cardinalsn=5
Over 40%Under 60%
H2Hn=5
Over 40%Under 60%
3.4Avg runs for (form)3

Same Game Multi Options

Same Game Multi markets are active for this fixture. Popular featured combinations include Pirates to win, Over 4.5 Pirates total runs in the match & O. Cruz to hit 1+ home runs at 8.5.

For those leaning toward the visitors, Cardinals to win, Under 7.5 total runs in the match & Cardinals to win the 1st inning is available at 12.