The New York Mets opened their series with the St. Louis Cardinals with a win on Monday behind 5.2 innings of two-run ball from righty Clay Holmes.

Now, New York is set as a road favorite on Tuesday night with Kodai Senga set to make his 2026 debut against Cardinals righty Andre Pallante.

The 2025 season was a weird one for Senga, as injuries limited him to just 22 starts. He posted a 3.02 ERA for New York, but he was awful in August, posting a 6.18 ERA in six outings. 

Can Senga bounce back with the Mets looking to make a run at the NL East crown? 

He’ll have a chance to start the season with a win against Pallante, who finished the 2025 season with a 6-15 record and a 5.31 ERA across 31 starts. Pallante has a WHIP north of 1.41 for his career, which is a great sign for this New York offense.

Here’s a look at the betting odds, a player prop to consider and my prediction for Tuesday’s matchup. 

Mets vs. Cardinals Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Run Line

Mets -1.5 (+104)Cardinals +1.5 (-126)

Moneyline

Mets: -163Cardinals: +135

Total

8.5 (Over -105/Under -115)Mets vs. Cardinals Probable PitchersNew York: Kodai Senga (0-0, 0.00 ERA)St. Louis: Andre Pallante (0-0, 0.00 ERA)Mets vs. Cardinals How to WatchDate: Tuesday, March 31Time: 7:45 p.m. ESTVenue: Busch StadiumHow to Watch (TV): SNY, Cardinals.TVMets record: 3-1Cardinals record: 2-2 Mets vs. Cardinals Best MLB Prop BetMets Best MLB Prop BetFrancisco Lindor to Hit a Home Run (+434)

Earlier today, I shared in SI Betting’s best home picks column – Daily Dinger – why Lindor has a great matchup against St. Louis:

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is hitting just .214 early on in the 2026 season, but he has a favorable matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

Lindor is taking on righty Andre Pallante, who he has dominated so far in his career. The All-Star middle infielder is hitting .462 against Pallante (6-for-13), though he has yet to take him yard. 

Pallante gave up 21 home runs in 31 appearances last season, posting a 5.31 ERA in the process. So, Lindor is a pretty solid target with his odds set north of 4/1 on Tuesday. 

I also like this matchup since St. Louis’ bullpen has struggled early on this season, allowing 26 hits and 10 walks while posting a 7.94 ERA. 

Mets vs. Cardinals Prediction and Pick

In the 2025 season, St. Louis won just 12 of the 31 games that Pallante started, and his overall numbers were extremely shaky.

The righty ranked in the fourth percentile in strikeout percentage, the 20th percentile in expected batting average against and the 34th percentile in expected ERA. Even though Senga struggled late in the season, he still finished in the 51st percentile in expected ERA and the 72nd percentile in expected batting average against.

So, I like the Mets to win this game, especially since the St. Louis bullpen (7.94 ERA this season) has struggled out of the gate. 

New York and St,. Louis are No. 10 and No. 11 in OPS through four games, so I’ll side with the better pitching staff on Tuesday. 

Pick: Mets Moneyline (-163 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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