One of the best rivalries in all of baseball gets renewed on Thursday. The St. Louis Cardinals (43-53) take on the Chicago Cubs (45-50) in the first of a four-game series.
This is a battle of third and fourth places in the MLB standings of the NL Central, as both have had mediocre seasons thus far. On the Cardinals’ side, they have already indicated a willingness to sell as the MLB Trade Deadline approaches as they sit ten games out of first.
The Cubs are still on the fence about being buyers or sellers as they sit 7.5 games out of first.
As you consider your MLB picks, read ahead to get insight on this matchup and a feel for some of the Cardinals vs Cubs best bets.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Odds
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Information
St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs
Location of the game: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL.
Date & Time: Thursday, July 20. 8:05 pm ET.
How to watch: MLB.TV
Recent Scores
Looking at recent St. Louis Cardinals games, they have been hot as of late, winning eight of their last ten. Overall, they have been 43-53, and on the road this year, they are 21-27.
The Cardinals have now won five MLB games in a row, including a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins to start the week. On Wednesday, they won the finale 6-4 over Miami.
In terms of their MLB standings, not only are the Cardinals 10 games out of first in their division, but they are 9.5 games back in the Wild Card standings.
Cubs Face a Seven-Game Gap
Looking at the Cubs’ MLB schedule, they have gone just 5-5 in their last ten games. When playing at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, they are 24-25.
When examining the Chicago Cubs standings, they sit third in the NL Central and sit seven games back in the Wild Card standings.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Analysis
Matz on a Mission
The St. Louis Cardinals will turn to 32-year-old southpaw Steven Matz in this one. Looking at his MLB player stats, Matz is still looking for his first win, as he is 0-7 in 20 games. He also sports a 4.86 ERA and 1.51 WHIP.
Offensively, the Cardinals rank tied for 11th out of all MLB teams in runs per game this season, averaging 4.72 runs (4.14 on the road).
Third baseman Nolan Arenado has been the Cardinals’ best hitter. He is currently hitting .288/.338/.528 with a team-leading 21 home runs and 72 runs batted in.
Overall, the Cardinals are 7-2 in their last nine games against the Cubs. They are also 13-5 in their last 18 games at Wrigley Field.
Stroman’s Arsenal
Cubs’ manager David Ross will turn to 32-year-old veteran Marcus Stroman to try to take the opener. In 20 games this year, Stroman is 10-6 with a 2.88 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and he has 101 strikeouts in 118.2 innings.
In his last start, Stroman took the win against the Red Sox after allowing just one earned run in six innings.
The Chicago Cubs 2023 roster ranks 10th in scoring this season, averaging 4.79 runs per game (5.02 at home). In the last two weeks, outfielder Cody Bellinger has been the Cubs’ hottest hitter, as he has five home runs and ten runs batted in over his last 41 at bats.
The Cubs have gone 9-3 in their last 12 games against divisional foes. The over has also hit in their last eight games.
Key Injuries
The MLB injury report shows that the Cardinals are still without Tommy Edman (wrist), but outfielder Tyler O’Neill (back) is expected to be activated before this game. For the Cubs, they are still without shortstop Dansby Swanson (heel).
Odds Breakdown
As you analyze the Cardinals vs Cubs best bets, it is important to look at the MLB odds for this game.
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are slight underdogs playing on the road in this one with a moneyline set at +116. The spread features St. Louis +1.5 with odds of -185.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are favored with a moneyline set at -126. They are -1.5 on the spread, with odds of +165. The over/under for total runs is 8.5. The odds for both the over and the under are -110.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Pick and Prediction
As we determine the Cardinals vs Cubs best bets, the Cubs are the pick in this game. While the Cardinals have been red hot as of late, it is hard to look past how dreadfully bad Steven Matz has been. On the other hand, Marcus Stroman has pitched like a true ace and might be one of the hottest commodities on the trade market.
- Take Chicago to win straight up at -126.
In our other pick, take the over 8.5 runs (-110). In the two teams’ last combined 14 games, the over has hit in 13 of them. Plus, the Cardinals rank 25th in runs allowed per game, giving up 4.96. The Cubs rank 14th, allowing 4.44 runs per game to opponents.
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