The Chicago Cubs will be squaring off against their divisional rival St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The matchup can be viewed across the country on ESPN and the game gets underway 8:08 p.m. ET.
Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Odds
Chicago (+100) is the underdog to St. Louis (-110) and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under for this night game at 8.5 runs. The odds for betting on the game’s total stand at +100 for the over and -120 for the under. Gamblers can also bet on the game’s runline with the odds sitting at -210 for the Cubs +1.5 runs and +175 for the Cardinals -1.5.
The Cardinals are 19-12 SU and 15-15 ATS. The team’s gained 3.0 units for moneyline bettors while earning 1.5 units against the spread (ATS). St. Louis has covered the spread just twice in its last seven games and the under has hit in four of those seven. The Cubs have gone 16-14 SU this year and are 13-16 ATS. Overall, the team’s lost 4.1 units for moneyline gamblers in this young season and 2.1 units ATS. Chicagohas covered the spread only twice over its last seven games and the total has gone under in six of those seven.
Cardinals games have an over/under record of 13-15-2 so far in 2018. Chicago has an over/under record of 12-17.
Jon Lester will get the nod for Chicago. The southpaw Lester is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA and 27 strikeouts. He’s 1-0 with seven strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA against St. Louis this year (five starts).
The Cardinals are sending righty Michael Wacha (4-1, 3.62 ERA) to the mound. Wacha has 26 strikeouts and 15 walks to his credit, as well as a WHIP of 1.39. Wacha hasn’t faced the Cubs yet this year, but he made four starts against them in 2017, compiling a 0-3 record with a 7.77 ERA.
As a unit, St. Louis’ pitching staff has allowed 3.6 runs per game overall in 2018. The team’s starters have an ERA of 3.23, a WHIP of 1.23 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.9. The bullpen has a 3.57 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 8.4 K/9. In 20 games against divisional opponents, Cardinals starters have an ERA of 2.99 and the bullpen’s ERA is 4.06.
The St. Louis offense has put up 4.6 runs per outing, including 5.0 per game against divisional foes and 3.4 per game over its last five. The team has a slash-line of .203/.302/.358 over its last five games and is 4-1 SU during that span.
Outfielder Tommy Pham and first baseman Jose Martinez have led the way for the Cardinals’ hitters so far. Pham is hitting .327/.445/.541 with five home runs, 14 RBIs, 24 runs and seven steals, while Martinez’s line sits at .298/.367/.456 with three homers, 18 RBIs and 11 runs.
Pham seemed to take a step back when hitting at home last year, slashing .265/.388/.410 over 245 plate appearances (compared to his total season line of .306/.411/.520).
In the visiting dugout, Chicago’s pitching staff allowed 4.1 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 3.98 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 8.39 K/9. The bullpen has logged an excellent ERA of just 2.78, along with a K-per-9 of 8.84.
The Cubs offense has slashed .246/.323/.405 on its way to 4.8 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.2 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.8 per game over the team’s last five outings (1-4 SU).
Chicago’s hitters have been powered by second baseman Javier Baez and third baseman Kris Bryant, who have combined to swat 11 home runs. Baez is slashing .283/.331/.628 with eight home runs, 28 RBIs and 22 runs scored, while Bryant is hitting .278/.408/.505 with three homers, 12 RBIs and 14 runs scored.
The Cubs have lost 1.7 units and are 10-10 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this season. The over has cashed in nine of those games, compared to 11 that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Cardinals have netted 2.6 units and are 6-3 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The over’s cashed in four of those games, compared to five that went under.
Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cardinals, ATS Winner – Cubs, O/U – OVER
Notes
Betting Trends
The Chicago defense has allowed six errors over its last five games, compared to two errors for St. Louis over its last five.
The Cubs have hit six home runs in their last 10 games, including five over their last five.
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