Brendan O’Sullivan dives into his pick and prediction for the New York Mets vs. St. Louis Cardinals game on Wednesday, April 1.

The Mets and Cardinals play the third and final game of their series on Wednesday, April 1 at 1:15 p.m. ET.

New York is a -171 moneyline favorite, while St. Louis is +141 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at over/under eight runs.

Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Mets vs. Cardinals game.

Mets vs. Cardinals prediction, preview

It’s World Series or bust for the Mets, but the pressure is even greater after missing the playoffs last season. They began the season with a series win against the Pirates but are now tied 1-1 against the Cardinals with the third game set for Wednesday, April 1.

New York has Freddy Peralta on the mound. He’s one of the big offseason additions the team made, but his debut was sloppy. He allowed four earned runs and six hits across five innings pitched in a win. Opening Day at home for your new team is a challenge, so perhaps Peralta is settled in now.

The Mets’ lineup is deep and filled with big-time names. Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor are the top two players, but players like Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco and rookie Carson Benge will be relied upon, too.

The Cardinals are not contending, but they’re also 3-2 through five games. They shut out the Mets 3-0 in the second game of the series and get Matthew Liberatore on the mound for the rubber match. Liberatore allowed one earned run, seven hits, and two walks in five innings vs. the Rays on Thursday, March 26.

This game is much more difficult, but perhaps he’ll have his offense back him up. Rookie JJ Wetherholt leads a young Cardinals lineup in what projects to be a rebuilding season.

Mets vs. Cardinals Pick, Best Bet

By the season’s end, the Mets will be long past the Cardinals in the standings. These teams are on different trajectories, and thus have different goals for the year. Still, these teams have played two competitive games against each other, splitting the series.

Neither offense is scoring much in this series and two solid pitchers on the mound makes an under seem likely.

Best Bet: Under eight runs (-105)