Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview 05/04/18

The Chicago Cubs will head south to take on their division rival St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. NBC Sports Chicago is in line to broadcast the action and the game gets underway at 8:15 p.m. ET.

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Odds

Chicago (+100) is the underdog against St. Louis (-110) and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under for this game at 8.5 runs (-115 for the under and -105 for the over). Bettors can also wager on the game’s spread with the current runline odds sitting at -210 for the Cubs +1.5 runs and +175 for the Cardinals -1.5.

The Cubs are 16-12 SU and have gone 13-15 against the spread (ATS). They’ve lost 3.0 units for moneyline bettors in the season’s early going and 1.1 units ATS. Chicago’s covered the spread just twice over its last seven games and the total has gone under in six of those seven. The Cardinals, on the other hand, are 17-12 SU and 14-15 ATS. The team’s gained 2.0 units for bettors taking the moneyline while earning 2.5 units ATS. St. Louis has covered the spread only twice over its last seven games and the total has gone under in three of those seven.

Cardinals games have a 13-14-2 over/under record thus far in 2018. Chicago has an over/under record of 12-16.

Left-hander Jose Quintana will get the nod for the visiting Cubs. Quintana is 3-1 with a 5.74 ERA and 23 strikeouts. He has yet to face St. Louis this year, but he did make two starts against the team in 2017, posting a 1-0 record with a 4.63 ERA and 15 strikeouts.

The Cardinals will send righty Miles Mikolas (3-0, 3.27 ERA) to the mound. Mikolas has 27 strikeouts and two walks to his credit, as well as a WHIP of 0.97. Mikolas did not record any MLB pitching stats in 2017.

Chicago’s pitchers have allowed 4.0 runs per game and its starters own a 4.01 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 8.30 K/9. The bullpen has an outstanding ERA of just 2.67, along with a WHIP of 1.34 and a K-per-9 of 9.00.

The Cubs offense has slashed .244/.325/.406 on its way to 4.9 runs scored per game this season, including 4.2 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.2 per game over the team’s last five contests (3-2 SU).

Second baseman Javier Baez and third baseman Kris Bryant have led Chicago’s hitters. Baez is slashing .279/.330/.625 with seven home runs, 26 RBIs and 20 runs scored, while Bryant (.287/.427/.517) is up to three homers, 12 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

For the home team, St. Louis’ pitchers have allowed 3.6 runs per game overall this year. Its starting pitching staff has an ERA of 3.23, a WHIP of 1.23 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.1. The bullpen has a 3.49 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 8.6 K/9. In 18 divisional games, Cardinals starters have an ERA of 2.96 and the bullpen’s ERA is 4.00.

St. Louis’ hitters have produced 4.6 runs per contest, including 5.0 per game against divisional foes and 2.6 per game over their last five. The team’s hit .172/.242/.325 over its last five contests and is 2-3 SU during that span.

The Cardinals’ batters have been led by right fielder Tommy Pham and shortstop Paul DeJong. Pham is slashing .330/.447/.521 with four home runs, 11 RBIs, 23 runs and six stolen bases, while DeJong’s line sits at .262/.319/.514 with seven homers, 14 RBIs and 17 runs.

Compared to his total season slash line of .306/.411/.520, Pham didn’t seem to enjoy batting at home last season, slashing .265/.388/.410 over 245 plate appearances.

The Cubs have lost 0.7 units and are 10-9 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in nine of those games, as opposed to 10 that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Cardinals have netted 1.6 units and are 5-3 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in four of those games, compared to four that’ve cashed the under.

Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals Free Pick

Predictions: SU Winner – Cardinals, ATS Winner – Cubs, O/U – OVER

Click Here to Start Betting Today!