The St. Louis Cardinals will begin a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Route 66 Rivalry is in full swing as we share our MLB odds series and make a Cardinals-Cubs prediction and pick.
Cardinals-Cubs Projected Starters
Erick Fedde vs. Javier Assad
Erick Fedde (7-4) with a 3.11 ERA
Last Start: Fedde struggled in his last outing, going four innings, allowing three earned runs, six hits, striking out four, and walking two in a loss to the Seattle Mariners.
2024 Road Splits: Fedde has not been as good on the road, going 2-2 with a 4.06 ERA over 12 starts away from Busch Stadium.
Javier Assad (5-3) with a 3.23 ERA
Last Start: Assad had a quality start in his last outing, going six innings, allowing three earned runs, five hits, striking out five, and walking one in a win over the Kansas City Royals.
2024 Home Splits: Assad has been better at home, going 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA over nine starts at Wrigley Field.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Cubs Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+150)
Moneyline: -112
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-182)
Moneyline: -104
Over: 7.5 (-105)
Under: 7.5 (-115)
How to Watch Cardinals vs. Cubs
Time: 2:20 PM ET/11:20 AM PT
TV: Marquee TV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cardinals have had a solid season and came into this weekend just 1 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final wildcard spot in the National League. But to make the playoffs and represent the NL, the Cards need to string some wins together and catch Arizona. Their hitters need to find a way to get on base.
Nolan Arenado is still around and will attempt to get the barrel of the bat in this one. Overall, he is batting .265 with 99 hits, 18 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 53 runs over 101 games in his career against Chicago. Alec Burleson has been one of the pleasant surprises for the Cards this season. Also, he is hitting .333 with 18 hits, two home runs, five RBIs, and eight runs over 18 games. Masyn Wynn has been electric for the Cards. Currently, he is batting .250 with nine hits, one home run, four RBIs, and four runs over his last nine games against the Cubs.
Fedde has produced a quality start in two of his past four outings. But he has struggled against the Cubs, with a 0-0 record and a 5.51 ERA in three games against them in his career. When Fedde finishes, he will turn it over to a bullpen that ranks seventh in team ERA. Subsequently, if they have a lead, they will turn it over to Ryan Helsley, who leads the majors with 33 saves in 35 chances.
The Cardinals will cover the spread if Arenado, Burleson, and Wynn can produce at the plate. Then, they need Fedde to have a good outing and control his pitches.
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cubs are just about out of the race as they entered the day trailing the Diamondbacks by 6 1/2 games for the final wildcard spot. Regardless, they can match up well with the Cardinals and will try to finish things strongly this time around. To do that, they need some production from their hitters.
Nico Hoerner has overcome some injuries and slumps this season. Furthermore, he is batting .231 with 46 hits, two home runs, 12 RBIs, and 28 runs over 58 games against the Cards. Dansby Swanson has the power to get one out of the park. Now, he will try and do it again as he is hitting .254 with 43 hits, five home runs, 29 RBIs, and 22 runs over 43 games in his career against the Cardinals. Cody Bellinger will also attempt to clobber the baseball. Yet, he is batting only .237 with 44 hits, six home runs, 32 RBIs, and 23 runs over his career against the Cardinals.
Assad has been struggling to get past the fourth inning lately. He has also been efficient but unlucky against the Cardinals, going 0-2 with a 2.95 ERA over seven games against them. When Assad finishes his game, he will turn it over to a bullpen that is 10th in team ERA. Also, they will likely turn it over to Hector Nerris if they can have a lead in the later stages of the game.
Final Cardinals-Cubs Prediction & Pick
The Cardinals are 6-3 against the Cubs this season. St. Louis came into Thursday with a 54-54 mark against the run line, while the Cubs were 52-58. However, the Cards were 27-27 against the run line on the road, while the Cubs were only 18-34 against the run line at Wrigley. The only thing that prevents us from picking the Cards to cover is Assad, who struggled in his last outing against the Cardinals and will likely want to avenge it. For that, we are taking the Cubs to cover the spread.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Cardinals-Cubs Prediction & Pick: Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-182)
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