The Chicago Cubs will battle the St. Louis Cardinals in the first of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday at Busch Stadium. We're here to share our MLB odds series, make a Cubs-Cardinals prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
Cubs-Cardinals Projected Starters
Hayden Wesneski vs. Lance Lynn
Hayden Wesneski (3-5) with a 3.67 ERA
Last Start: Wesneski dominated in his last outing, tossing 6 1/3 shutout innings, allowing one hit, striking out two, and walking one in a win over the Los Angeles Angels.
2024 Road Splits: Wesneski is 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA over eight starts on the road.
Lance Lynn (4-4) with a 4.48 ERA
Last Start: Lynn imploded in his last outing, allowing 11 runs, 10 earned, on nine hits, walking four, and striking out two in a loss to the Washington Nationals.
2024 Home Splits: Lynn has been better at home, going 3-0 with a 3.66 ERA over nine starts at Busch Stadium.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cubs-Cardinals Odds
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-178)
Moneyline: +116
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+146)
Moneyline: -134
Over: 9 (-115)
Under: 9 (-105)
How to Watch Cubs vs. Cardinals
Time: 2:15 PM ET/11:15 AM PT
TV: Marquee TV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cubs have struggled this season, and they have not done much to put themselves in a playoff spot. Unfortunately, part of that has been due to an inconsistent offense that has often whiffed more than not. Despite a bad offense, some players still can make some noise at the plate.
Christopher Morel leads the Cubs in home runs and is also second in RBIs. Ultimately, he has 16 home runs and 47 RBIs. Ian Happ leads the team in RBIs and is second in home runs. Currently, he has 14 home runs and 56 RBIs. The Cubs got some unfortunate news the other day. Unfortunately, Cody Bellinger fractured his finger and will be out for an undetermined amount of time. It will be a big loss as he is one of the better players in this lineup. At the moment, he leads the team in hits with 84. Pete Crow-Armstrong has emerged this season as a good threat at the plate and basepaths. Significantly, he has swiped 16 bags.
Wesneski has been solid this season. Now, he hopes to replicate the amazing effort from the last start, where he blanked the Halos. When Wesneski finishes, he may sweat it out as he turns it over to a bullpen that has been inconsistent. Their relievers currently rank 16th in team ERA. Despite Hector Nerris having 12 saves, he is no longer the full-time closer as the Cubs have begun to rely on others after he struggled to close out games.
The Cubs will cover the spread if Morel and Happ can batter the baseball and give the Cubs some run support. Next, they need Wesneski to hit his spots and avoid making mistakes down the heart of the plate.
Why The Cardinals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Cardinals are currently holding onto one of the three wildcard spots. Yet, they are not guaranteed to make the postseason, as several teams, including the Cubs, are chasing them. This team has seen some inconsistent offense. However, new players have emerged and are currently carrying this team.
Nolan Gorman leads the Cardinals in home runs and is second in RBIs and doubles. He has 17 home runs, 46 RBIs, and 12 doubles. Alec Burleson has emerged out of nowhere to lead the team in RBIs and is also second in home runs. Currently, Burleson has 15 home runs and 48 RBIs. Brendan Donovan has also driven in a lot of runs. So far, he has 44 RBIs. While Paul Goldschmidt has seen almost all his numbers dip, he is still doing many things right. Ultimately, he leads the team in walks.
Before his implosion, Lance was pitching well, getting quality starts over two straight outings. However, he has struggled against the Cubs, going 6-8 with a 5.43 ERA over 24 starts. Lynn will attempt to bounce back from his bad outing and then turn it over to a good bullpen. Ultimately, if they can take the lead into the ninth, they will hand it over to Ryan Helsley, who has 31 saves.
The Cardinals will cover the spread if the offense can drive runners home. Then, they need Lynn to pitch well and avoid making the mistakes he made in his last outing.
Final Cubs-Cardinals Prediction & Pick
The Cubs are 45-49 against the spread this season, while the Cards are 46-46. Conversely, the Cubs have been exceptional at covering the spread on the road, with a 28-20 mark, while the Cardinals are 23-20 against the spread at home. The Cardinals are 4-1 against the Cubs this season. But the Cubs are 4-1 against the spread this season against the Cardinals. Consequently, these teams always play tight games. Cubs cover the spread on the road.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Cubs-Cardinals Prediction & Pick: Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-178)
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