Longtime rivals match up in an afternoon clash on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs host the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Chicago has lost nine of the past 11 games, falling to 67-85 on the season. St. Louis has won the last 12 consecutive games, including a comeback win over Milwaukee on Thursday.
First pitch in this seven-inning matchup is at 2:20 p.m. ET in Chicago. Caesars Sportsbook lists St. Louis as the -157 favorite (risk $157 to win $100) on the money line in the latest Cardinals vs. Cubs odds, while Chicago is the +147 underdog. Before making any Cubs vs. Cardinals picks or MLB predictions, you need to see what SportsLine’s advanced computer model has to say.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is 193-164 on top-rated MLB money-line picks through 25 weeks in the 2021 season, returning over $500. It also had a banner 2019 season, the league’s last full schedule, returning more than $1,400 on its top-rated money-line and run-line MLB picks. Anyone following it has seen some huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cubs vs. Cardinals and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Now, here are several MLB odds and betting trends for Cardinals vs. Cubs:
- Cardinals vs. Cubs money line: Cardinals -157, Cubs +147
- Cardinals vs. Cubs over-under: TBD
- Cardinals vs. Cubs run line: TBD
- St. Louis: The Cardinals are 5-7 against the Cubs this season
- Chicago: The Cubs are 39-38 in 2021 home games
Why you should back the Cardinals
St. Louis is scalding hot with baseball’s longest active winning streak, and this is a favorable matchup. The Cardinals absolutely mash left-handed pitching, including the No. 1 mark in the National League in slugging percentage and the No. 2 mark in weighted runs created. In terms of run prevention, St. Louis also sets up well, with veteran left-handed J.A. Happ allowing three runs or fewer in seven of the last nine starts after being traded to the Cardinals.
The team’s bullpen is also excellent, with a top-four mark in wins above replacement, an above-average ERA (4.01) and the No. 1 mark in home-run rate allowed (0.76 per 9 innings). In addition, the Cubs have struggled mightily on offense this season, including the worst marks in the National League in hits (1,165), doubles (204) and strikeouts (1,408). Chicago is also a bottom-tier team in both batting average (.234) and on-base percentage (.308), which should play into the hands of the Cardinals.
Why you should back the Cubs
Chicago will send 26-year-old left-hander Justin Steele to the mound in the afternoon game, and he is enjoying success this season in a few areas. Steele is striking out more than a batter per inning, and he is soundly better than league average in allowing only a .228 batting average against him. Steele generates a very strong 50.0 percent ground-ball rate and, behind him, the Cubs have a bullpen with the third-best strikeout rate in the National League at 10.37 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Cardinals land below the NL average in runs, hits, walks, doubles, home runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, so Steele projects to be in a sound position. Offensively, the Cubs do much of their damage with the long ball, ranking in the top five of the NL with 202 home runs. Part of that damage comes from Frank Schwindel and Ian Happ, particularly in September. Schwindel has seven home runs, 19 RBI and 17 runs scored this month, with Happ adding six home runs and four stolen bases. Each is getting on-base more than 40 percent of the time in September, and the Cubs could ride their hot hands to success in this matchup.
How to make Cardinals vs. Cubs picks
SportsLine’s model is projecting 7.5 total runs, and it says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the model’s MLB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Cubs vs. Cardinals? And which side has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.
