Tuesday MLB preview: Cardinals at Pirates, Cubs at Giants

St. Louis Cardinals (52-47) at Pittsburgh Pirates (46-53), 7:05 p.m. ET

Dakota Hudson (9-4, 3.57 ERA) (STL) +115 / +1.5 runs (-180) / Over 9 runs (-115) Chris Archer (3-6, 5.36 ERA) (PIT) -125 / -1.5 runs (+150) / Under 9 runs (-105)

MLB free play: Pirates moneyline

Chris Archer has struggled at times for the Pirates this year, but he should put forth a strong effort to help his team secure a victory over the division-rival Cardinals at PNC Park on Tuesday night.

Archer has allowed just three earned runs in 11 innings against St. Louis this season. He's fared well against these Cardinals hitters in the past, as infielders Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong and catcher Yadier Molina are a combined 1-for-24 lifetime against him.

St. Louis starter Dakota Hudson has the unenviable task of facing baseball's third-hottest lineup in the month of July (.290 average). He was tagged for nine hits, three of which were recorded by All-Star first baseman Josh Bell, in six innings of work in his lone start against Pittsburgh on May 12.

Chicago Cubs (54-46) at San Francisco Giants (51-50), 9:45 p.m. ET

Yu Darvish (3-4, 4.46 ERA) (CHC) -115 / -1.5 runs (+150) / Over 7.5 runs (EVEN) Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 3.65 ERA) (SF) +105 / +1.5 runs (-180) / Under 7.5 runs (-120)

MLB free play: Under

Tuesday night's Cubs-Giants tilt at Oracle Park should be fairly low scoring.

San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner owns strong numbers in his last three starts against the Cubs. He's 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA and 7.67 strikeout/walk ratio (20 2/3 innings). Bumgarner also has a 1.13 ERA in his last three starts overall. Chicago infielders Javier Baez and Kris Bryant have just three hits between them in 21 combined at-bats against Bumgarner.

Cubs starter Yu Darvish is far less reliable, but he has a 1.93 ERA in his first three starts this month. The Giants' hot lineup was recently cooled by an underachieving Mets staff (4.66 ERA, 12th in the National League). Over a four-game series, they plated 11 runs in their own ballpark over 48 innings. Infielders Brandon Crawford and Pablo Sandoval, catcher Buster Posey and center fielder Kevin Pillar have never reached base against Darvish in 10 combined attempts.