Tony Sartori recommended placing a bet on the Cardinals moneyline against the Red Sox (+126) primarily because of the distinct starting pitching advantage. Cardinals starter Erick Fedde was impressive in his first outing of 2025, allowing just one run and two hits across six innings. Fedde's strong opening performance backed up his solid 2024 campaign, where he posted a 3.30 ERA and 1.16 WHIP through 31 starts, ranking above average league-wide in xERA, average exit velocity, walk rate, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate. In contrast, Red Sox starter Walker Buehler has struggled significantly since returning from his second Tommy John surgery, historically a difficult recovery for pitchers. In 2024, Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 16 starts, ranking in the 16th percentile in xERA, xBA, and strikeout rate. These struggles continued into 2025; Buehler gave up four runs on seven hits in less than five innings in his first start of the season. Sartori also pointed out the strength of the Cardinals bullpen, which ranked top-10 in ERA, FIP, and xFIP last season, giving their pitching overall a clear edge.