Cardinals vs. Yankees Prediction, Odds and Probable Pitchers for Sunday, Sept. 1 (Trust Nestor Cortes?)

Can Nestor Cortes stay hot for the Yankees on Sunday?

New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes. / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees hold a 1.5-game lead in the AL East heading into their series finale with the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

The Cardinals (68-68) are on the outside of the playoff picture in the National League, but they did win Game 2 of this series on Saturday, teeing off on Yankees youngster Will Warren.

Things won’t come as easy on Sunday against lefty Nestor Cortes Jr., but the Yankees are just 11-16 when Cortes is on the bump. 

So, how should we bet on this matchup?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, probable pitchers and my best bet for the first game of September for these squads. 

Cardinals vs. Yankees Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Run Line

• Cardinals +1.5 (-120)
• Yankees -1.5 (+100)

Moneyline

• Cardinals: +170
• Yankees: -205

Total

• 9 (Over -110/Under -110)

Cardinals vs. Yankees Probable Pitchers

• St. Louis: Miles Mikolas (8-10, 5.23 ERA)
• New York: Nestor Cortes (8-10, 3.89 ERA)

Cardinals vs. Yankees How to Watch

• Date: Sunday, Sept. 1
• Time: 1:35 p.m. EST
• Venue: Yankee Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports Midwest, YES Network
• Cardinals record: 68-68
• Yankees record: 79-57

Cardinals vs. Yankees Key Players to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

Miles Mikolas: The Cardinals are 13-14 in Mikolas’ starts this season, but the righty has struggled, posting a 5.23 ERA and allowing 21 homers on the season. Mikolas made five starts in August, allowing at least four runs in four of those outings. Can he shut down a tough Yankees offense? 

New York Yankees

Aaron Judge: Is Aaron Judge due? The New York Yankees slugger and American League MVP favorite has not hit a home run since Aug. 25, which feels like an eternity given the season he’s had in 2024. Judge only has three stretches since May 1 where he went more than five games without a homer. He could be worth a shot in the prop market on Sunday. 

Cardinals vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick

New York is one of my favorite bets of the day, mainly because the Cardinals have struggled against left-handed pitching this season. 

Here’s a look at my breakdown of this pick from today’s MLB Best Bets for SI Betting: 

The New York Yankees are still atop the AL East, but they haven’t been able to pull away as of late.

On Sunday, they are in a prime spot to pick up a win over the St. Louis Cardinals, who have Miles Mikola (5.23 ERA) on the mound. 

The Yankees are countering with the red hot Nestor Cortes, who has put together a 20.2 innings of one-run ball over his last three starts. The Yankees are 3-0 in those games, and Cortes should thrive against a St. Louis offense that ranks 28th in MLB in OPS against left-handed pitching.

I’ll ride with the Yankees to cover the run line at home on Sunday. 

Pick: Yankees -1.5 (+100)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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