The Chicago Cubs are heading south to play their NL Central foe St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET and the matchup will be shown on both WLS and FSMW.
Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Odds
Both teams have matching -105 moneyline odds and Vegas has set the Over/Under for this game at eight runs. The odds for betting on the game’s total sit at -115 for the over and -105 for the under. Bettors can also wager on the game’s spread with the current runline odds standing at +140 for the Cubs -1.5 runs and -160 for the Cardinals +1.5 runs.
The Cardinals are 36-30 straight up (SU) and 31-35 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 4.5 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 4.1 units (ATS). St. Louis has a 3-4 ATS record over its last seven games and the under has cashed in five of those seven. The Cubs are 38-27 SU and have gone 33-32 ATS. Overall, the team’s lost 2.3 units for moneyline bettors, but have gained 1.7 units ATS. Chicago has covered the spread four times in its last seven games and the under has cashed in six of those seven.
Cardinals games have an over/under record of 25-37-4 thus far in 2018. Chicago has also been a good under bet with a total record of 26-38-1.
Jon Lester will get the start for the visiting Cubs. The southpaw Lester is 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA and 66 strikeouts. He’s 1-0 with 11 strikeouts and a 1.59 ERA against St. Louis this year (two starts).
The Cardinals are sending righty Michael Wacha (8-1, 2.47 ERA) to the mound. Wacha has 67 strikeouts and 30 walks to his name, as well as a 1.11 WHIP. Wacha is 0-0 with five strikeouts and a 1.69 ERA in one start against Chicago this year.
Chicago’s pitchers have allowed 3.5 runs per game and its starters own a 3.51 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 8.16 K/9. The bullpen has logged an outstanding ERA of just 2.67, along with a WHIP of 1.27 and a K-per-9 of 9.35.
The Cubs offense has slashed .258/.341/.415 on its way to 4.9 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.2 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.0 per game over the team’s last five outings (2-3 SU).
Chicago’s offensive production has been led by third baseman Kris Bryant and second baseman Javier Baez, who have combined to swat 22 home runs. Bryant is hitting .281/.391/.481 with eight home runs, 29 RBIs and 36 runs scored, while Baez (.255/.286/.519) is up to 14 homers, 46 RBIs, 37 runs and 12 stolen bases.
For the home team, St. Louis’ pitching staff has given up 4.0 runs per game overall this year. Its starters have a 3.11 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 4.39 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 8.7 K/9. In 34 divisional games, Cardinals starters have an ERA of 3.12 and the bullpen’s ERA is 4.17.
The St. Louis offense has produced 4.3 runs per contest, including 4.7 per game against divisional foes and 3.6 per game over its last five. The team has hit .257/.299/.401 over its last five games and is 2-3 SU during that span.
First baseman Jose Martinez and outfielder Marcell Ozuna have led the Cardinals’ hitters this year. Martinez is hitting .321/.389/.517 with 10 home runs, 42 RBIs and 32 runs scored, while Ozuna’s line is .286/.335/.419 with eight homers, 37 RBIs and 27 runs.
The Cubs have lost 4.8 units and are 25-26 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in 20 of those games, compared to 30 that’ve gone under against righties. On the other hand, the Cardinals have lost 3.3 units and are 8-8 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The over’s hit in seven of those games, compared to nine that went under the total.
Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cardinals, ATS Winner – Cardinals, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends,
- Chicago has tallied six extra-base hits over its last five outings. St. Louis has 10 XBH over its last five.
- The Cubs have lost three of their last four games SU while the Cardinals have dropped three of their last four.
- St. Louis has posted 21.7 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 games and 20.8 over its last five.
- The Cubs have hit four home runs in their last 10 games. The Cardinals have hit 13 over their last 10.
