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The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Chicago Cubs. Check out our MLB odds series for our Cardinals Cubs prediction and pick.
Matthew Liberatore goes to the hill for the Cardinals, while Keegan Thompson gets the ball for the Cubs.
Matthew Liberatore has a 3.72 ERA, but it is based on a very small sample size: two starts, 9 2/3 innings, four runs allowed. Given that he is just beginning to break into the big leagues, that's very respectable. As he continues to pitch, and as opposing teams continue to build more tape of him, it will be fascinating to see how he adjusts and how he maintains confidence. This is an intriguing portion of a Cardinals Cubs prediction based on the current MLB odds.
Keegan Thompson has a 1.58 ERA. He has been used as a relief pitcher, but now he is being given the starting assignment by manager David Ross. Thompson is 5-0 this season. If you place value in official decisions and pitcher wins, Thompson has been in the right place at the right time for Chicago. He has made 11 appearances and averaged roughly 3 2/3 innings per appearance. He has made four appearances of at least four innings in length, but only two longer than four innings. He has not pitched beyond the fifth inning in any of his 11 appearances. It will be fascinating to see what he does on Thursday, and evaluate how he changes the equation for a Cardinals Cubs pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Cardinals-Cubs MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Cubs Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+146)
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-176)
Over: 8.5 (-102)
Under: 8.5 (-120)
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Why The Cardinals Could Cover the Spread
The Cardinals just swept the San Diego Padres in what could be a preview of the National League wild card battle this October. They are playing confident baseball and looking like the team which stormed through the National League in September of last season. Keegan Thompson has been a really good pitcher for the Cubs and one of the best stories on the Cubbies by far in 2022, but his transition from reliever to starter is bound to involve a few bumps in the road. The Cardinals have established veteran hitters and are in a position to make life difficult for Thompson in this game. Moreover, the Cubs have won two straight games. The MLB odds would not suggest that the Cubs are likely to win three games in a row. It's possible, but you wouldn't want to make a bet on it.
Why The Cubs Could Cover the Spread
After winning consecutive games against the National League Central-leading Brewers, the Cubs have to feel a little more confident about the direction of this season. No, the Cubs aren't a playoff contender, but they did not look like a pushover in four tough, close games against the Brewers over the past three days. If they could stand toe to toe with Milwaukee and split four games, the Cubs could do the same against the Cardinals this weekend and might even win three of four. Matthew Liberatore shows promise as a starting pitcher for St. Louis, but he has not been dominant and, much like Thompson for the Cubs, is still learning how to be a big-league pitcher. The Cubs should feel they can score bunches of runs in this matchup.
Final Cardinals-Cubs Prediction & Pick
This is a stay-away game because these pitchers are relatively new and untested, but if you had to pick, the red-hot Cardinals probably make more sense.
Final Cardinals-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Cardinals -1.5
