The St. Louis Cardinals are ready to square off against their division rival Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The game gets going at 2:20 p.m. ET and the matchup will be shown on both WLS and FSMW.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Odds
The Cardinals are 10-7 SU and have gone 10-7 against the spread (ATS). They’ve gained 1.6 units for moneyline bettors over the early part of the season and 2.0 units ATS. St. Louis has covered the spread five times in its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven. The Cubs, on the other hand, are 7-8 SU and 7-8 ATS. The team has lost 6.3 units for moneyline bettors and 0.8 units ATS. Chicago has a 3-4 ATS record over its last seven games and the total has gone over in four of those seven.
Cubs games have a 7-8 over/under record so far in 2018. The Cardinals have an over/under record of 8-9.
Luke Weaver is getting the nod for the visiting Cardinals. The right-handed Weaver is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 17 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Cubs this year and only made one start against them in 2017 (0-1, 24.00 ERA and three strikeouts over three innings).
The Cubs are sending lefty Jon Lester (1-0, 4.40 ERA) to the mound. Lester has 11 punchouts and seven walks to his credit, as well as a 1.67 WHIP. Lester made five starts against the Cardinals in 2017, posting a 2-1 record with a 2.93 ERA and 34 strikeouts.
Chicago’s pitchers have given up 4.3 runs per game overall this year as a unit. Its starters have an ERA of 5.31, a WHIP of 1.65 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.0. The bullpen has posted a solid ERA of just 2.37, a WHIP of 1.18 and a K/9 of 9.0. In nine divisional games, Cubs starters have an ERA of 3.44 and the bullpen’s ERA is 3.94.
The Chicago hitters have put up 5.0 runs per outing, including 4.7 per game against divisional foes and 6.2 per game over their last five. The team has hit .251/.354/.444 over its last five contests and is 2-3 SU during that stretch.
Third baseman Kris Bryant and second baseman Javier Baez have led the Cubs’ batters this year. Bryant is slashing .328/.473/.569 with 19 hits, eight RBIs and nine runs scored, while Baez’s line is .235/.339/.667 with five homers, 16 RBIs and 12 runs.
For the visitors, St. Louis’ pitching staff allowed 3.5 runs per game and its starters own a 3.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 8.69 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.36, along with a K-per-9 of 9.59.
Cardinals hitters have slashed .244/.330/.408 on their way to 4.6 runs scored per game this season, including 5.5 runs per game against divisional foes and 6.4 per game over the team’s last five outings (5-0 SU).
St. Louis’ offensive production been powered by first baseman Jose Martinez and right fielder Tommy Pham. Martinez is slashing .339/.429/.559 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and five runs scored, while Pham is hitting .323/.440/.468 with two homers, five RBIs, 16 runs and five stolen bases.
Maintaining a slash line of .474/.545/.895 across 44 such plate appearances, Martinez enjoyed hitting against left-handed pitching on the road in 2017 (compared to his overall season slash line of .309/.379/.518).
The Cardinals have gained 1.9 units and are 3-1 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has hit in one of those games, compared to three that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Cubs have lost 5.3 units and are 4-6 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over has hit in five of those games, compared to five that went under the total.
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cubs, ATS Winner – Cardinals, O/U – OVER
Notes
Betting Notes
Chicago has posted 23.2 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 contests and 23.4 over its last five.
The Cardinals have hit 13 home runs in their last 10 games, including 10 over their last five.
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