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The Cubs make the trip to St. Louis to face the Cardinals for a doubleheader! These rivals have been having similar seasons with each struggling with consistency. The Cardinals have a winning record but are struggling more recently. Then, the Cubs have a losing record but have been red-hot leading into this series. The Cardinals have also dominated the season series so far. Our MLB odds series has our Cubs-Cardinals prediction, odds, and pick for Saturday.
Cubs-Cardinals Projected Starters
Javier Assad vs. Kyle Gibson
Javier Assad (4-3) with a 3.04 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched 4.1 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits with one walk and zero strikeouts in a Cubs loss to the New York Mets.
2024 Road Splits: (2-2) 3.70 ERA
Kyle Gibson (7-3) with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP
Last Start: Pitched five innings and gave up three runs on nine hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in a Cardinals win.
2024 Home Splits: (2-2) 4.70 ERA
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cubs-Cardinals Game 2 Odds
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-172)
Moneyline: +120
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+142)
Moneyline: -142
Over: 8.5 (-110)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
How to Watch Cubs vs. Cardinals Game 2
Time: 8:15 pm ET
TV: Marquee Sports Network / Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cubs have a 45-49 record this season. They have won six out of their last seven games and four straight entering this series. They have struggled behind the plate, but their pitching has been great, and just outside the top 10 in the MLB. On offense, Michael Busch, Cody Bellinger, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Christopher Morel, Michael Tauchman, and Dansby Swanson make up an inconsistent and struggling offense. Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon are standouts for a pitching staff that has had to carry them at times due to how much the offense has struggled.
The Cubs' offense has been inconsistent behind the plate and has struggled this year. They are 23rd in team batting average at .232 after having a .254 one season ago. The offense is led by Cody Bellinger, Christopher Morel, Ian Happ, and Michael Busch in most batting categories. Busch leads in batting average at .278 and in OBP at .369. Then, Morel leads in home runs at 16, Happ leads in RBI at 56, and Bellinger leads in total hits at 84. They get a challenge in this matchup against Kyle Gibson for the Cardinals with him having a solid year for a solid season in St. Louis.
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cardinals have been inconsistent this season, but they still have a winning record of 48-44. The Cardinals have lost two straight entering this series. The Cardinals have been below average with their bats and just outside the top 10 in pitching this season. Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and Willson Contreras have at least tried to stand out on a bad offense. On the mound, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Sonny Gray have been solid for a unit that has struggled this season. The Cardinals have been playing much better recently.
The Cardinals are starting Kyle Gibson on the mound, where he has a 7-3 record, a 3.96 ERA, and a 1.29 WHIP up to this point in the season. Through 97.2 innings, he has allowed 47 runs on 87 hits with 39 walks and 93 strikeouts. In his 17 appearances this season, the Cardinals have gone 9-8. Gibson has been solid this year for a strong pitching staff in St. Louis. He gets a favorable matchup against an offense that has struggled as much as the Cubs have.
The offense for the Cardinals has been inconsistent this season. They are 15th in team batting average at .244 after finishing last season with a .250 batting average by comparison. Masynn Winn, Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, and Brendan Donovan lead the Cardinals in most batting categories. Donovan leads in OBP at .339 and in total hits at 92. Then, Winn leads in batting average at .286, Gorman leads in home runs at 17, and Burleson leads in RBI at 48. This offense has been inconsistent all year, and they get an interesting matchup against Hayden Wesneski for the Cubs where he has had a solid season on the mound in the bullpen and as a starter.
Final Cubs-Cardinals Game 2 Prediction & Pick
These two rivals are playing a game before this one in a doubleheader. The Cubs are the hotter team and have a slight pitching advantage if it's Wesneski compared to Gibson in St. Louis. The better offense is with the Cardinals thanks to all the struggles by the Cubs and their bats. Still, this should be a close game, so expect the Cardinals to cover at home against their big rival thanks to Gibson and the offense.
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Final Cubs-Cardinals Game 2 Prediction & Pick: Cardinals -1.5 (+142)
