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Game-Day Update Lineups: Projected Odds Posted 5 min read

St. Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates Preview

STL at PIT 2026-09-24 preview: probable pitchers, projected lineups, NRFI/F5 model picks, weather, ballpark, and umpire context.

St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates MLB game preview for September 24, 2026
STL
St. Louis Cardinals
Kyle Leahy RHP
@
12:35 PM ET
PNC Park
PIT
Pittsburgh Pirates
Paul Skenes RHP
Last updated Thursday, September 24, 2026

Key Facts

Matchup
St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates
Date
Thursday, September 24, 2026
First Pitch
12:35 PM ET
Venue
PNC Park
Probable Starters
Kyle Leahy (RHP) vs Paul Skenes (RHP)
Lineups
Projected
Odds Snapshot
Sep 24, 12:36 PM ET
Last Updated
Sep 24, 12:21 AM ET

Betting Board

Snapshot Sep 24, 12:36 PM ET
Moneyline
STL +140
PIT -155
Total
Over 6.5 -132
Under 6.5 +108
Run Line
STL +1.5 -182
PIT -1.5 +150

Model Angles

NRFI Model
Not yet available
Projected Total
TBD
Park Factor
1.00
Neutral · HR 0.98
First Pitch Weather
60°F
9.2 mph ENE
The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Pittsburgh Pirates at 12:35 PM ET at PNC Park. Probable starters: Kyle Leahy for St. Louis Cardinals opposite Paul Skenes for Pittsburgh Pirates. Lineups are projected until first pitch. This preview is built deterministically from projected lineups, probable starters, market prices, first-pitch weather, park factors, and TheCapperIO model context.
  • Starter matchup: Kyle Leahy (St. Louis Cardinals) vs Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates).
  • Lineup status: projected until official release.
  • Market context: odds are posted; see the Betting Board for current lines.

Pitching Matchup

STL Away
Kyle Leahy
RHP · 10-5 · 29 GS
ERA
3.65
WHIP
1.34
K/9
8.41
IP
138.0
Career: 3.65 ERA · 1.27 WHIP · 7.95 K/9
NRFI: 75.8%
1st Inn ERA: 3.82
PIT Home
Paul Skenes
RHP · 10-11 · 31 GS
ERA
3.91
WHIP
1.13
K/9
10.29
IP
168.0
Career: 2.63 ERA · 1.01 WHIP · 10.65 K/9
NRFI: 78.9%
1st Inn ERA: 3.04

On the season, Kyle Leahy holds the ERA edge in this matchup. Kyle Leahy carries a 3.65 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, while Paul Skenes sits at 3.91 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.
Strikeout rates: Kyle Leahy at 8.41 K/9, Paul Skenes at 10.29 K/9.
K projections: Kyle Leahy at 2.7 (line 4.0)
Paul Skenes projected at 3.7 (line 4.0).
First-inning scoring: Kyle Leahy holds a 75.8% career NRFI rate, Paul Skenes at 78.9%. Combined average: 77.3%.
Both starters throw from the R side, limiting platoon splits for either lineup.

Strikeout Projections

Kyle Leahy vs PIT
Proj: 2.7Line: 4.0
-1.3
Confidence:
Paul Skenes vs STL
Proj: 3.7Line: 4.0
-0.3
Confidence:
View all K projections on SlateIQ

Our strikeout model weighs pitcher K rate, opponent lineup whiff tendency, park factors, and umpire zone size to project total strikeouts per starter.

Kyle Leahy (St. Louis Cardinals) is projected for 2.7 strikeouts against a posted line of 4.0. The projection sits 1.2 K below the line, giving the model an Under lean.
He faces a high-K lineup that strikes out at 24.1% with a 28.0% whiff rate.

Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates) is projected for 3.7 strikeouts against a posted line of 4.0. The projection is close to the line with no actionable edge.
He faces a moderate-K lineup that strikes out at 23.2% with a 28.0% whiff rate.

The Pittsburgh Pirates lineup is more vulnerable to strikeouts in this matchup. Pittsburgh Pirates batters K at 24.1%, St. Louis Cardinals batters at 23.2%.

Prop Edges

1 model signal detected
Kyle Leahy
Strikeouts Under 4.0
See all today's picks and edges

Lineup & Matchup Breakdown

St. Louis Cardinals Projected
K%: 23.2
Whiff rate: 28.0%Team page
Pittsburgh Pirates Projected
K%: 24.1
Whiff rate: 28.0%Team page
Batter vs Pitcher matchup tool

Lineups are projected as of this writing.

St. Louis Cardinals K vulnerability: 23.2% strikeout rate, 28.0% whiff rate.

Pittsburgh Pirates K vulnerability: 24.1% strikeout rate, 28.0% whiff rate.

Ballpark, Weather & Umpire

PNC Park
Run Factor1.00
HR Factor0.98
Full park profile
Hourly Game Forecast
60°
12 PM
9 mph
ENE
62°
1 PM
9 mph
ENE
63°
2 PM
9 mph
ENE
64°
3 PM
9 mph
ENE
  • PNC Park carries a 1.00 run factor (neutral).
  • Home run factor: 0.98 — the park neutral for HR power.
  • Park notes: Right field wall angles; Elevated RF corner; Allegheny River backdrop.
  • First pitch forecast: 60F with 9 mph winds from the ENE. Humidity: 54%.
  • Temperature drops from 60F at first pitch to 64F by the late innings.
  • Wind advisory: 9 mph winds from the ENE may impact fly balls.

Home plate umpire: Not yet assigned. Umpire data will be added once the assignment is posted.

Run Projections & Total

Run projections not available for this game.

The Bottom Line
This is a data-first preview, not a pick. Verify current odds before placing any bet. Confirm lineups at first pitch. Bet responsibly. 1-800-GAMBLER.
This preview is generated from thecapper.io projection models and publicly available data. All projections are model estimates, not guarantees. Gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.