In the second game of an NL Central series, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs moved to 14 games over .500, winning Game 1 of this series 7-3.
You will find solid betting info in this Cubs vs. Cardinals prediction, such as the pitching matchup, key stats, game odds, and a couple of good value player prop bets.
BetMGM Sportsbook has the Cubs as a very slight favorite in Game 2, posted at -112 with a total of 9 runs.
Cubs vs. Cardinals Odds
| Moneyline | Total (Over/Under) | Run Line |
| Cubs (-112) | Over 9 runs (+100) | Cubs -1.5 runs (+150) |
| Cardinals (-108) | Under 9 runs (-120) | Cardinals +1.5 runs (-180) |
How we got here
The Cubs have won three of their last four games. They are in second place in the NL Central, six games back of the Milwaukee Brewers, but are in the lead in the NL Wild Card.
The Cardinals (53-53) are reeling with only two wins in their last 10 games. While 13 games out of first place in the NL Central, they are only 1.5 games out of the third and final NL Wild Card.
Cubs vs. Cardinals betting analysis
On the season, the Cardinals are 27-30 at home, and the Cubs are 30-24 on the road.
By the numbers
Cubs
- Runs – 4th
- Team ERA – 17th
Cardinals
- Runs – 16th
- Team ERA – 14th
Pitching Matchup
Colin Rea (7-7, 4.85 ERA, 1.42) goes for the Cubs and was not sharp in his last start, giving up four runs in five innings in a 5-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Chicago has lost his last two starts, where he gave up four runs in each after not giving up more than three runs in the four starts before that.
Michael McGreevy (4-8, 3.47 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) gets the nod for the birds and gave up four runs in 6 1/3 innings in his last start in a 10-6 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cardinals had won his last two starts, and in the four before the last one, he did not give up more than two runs in any of them.
Cubbies getting it done at the dish
In the last three games, the Cubs have been solid at the plate, totaling 25 runs.
Hoerner and Bregman go big in Game 1 win
In the 7-3 win in Game 1 of this series, Alex Bregman (.241, 11 home runs, 46 RBIs) and Nick Hoerner (.254, 5 home runs, 48 RBIs) went big, as each had four hits and a home run and combined for six RBI.
Bregman had been in a 0-for-12 slump over three games, and Hoerner has eight hits in the last four games.
Leader has been hot for Chicago
Pete Crow-Armstrong (.288, 23 home runs, 60 RBIs) leads Chicago in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. He is batting .319 this month and has seven RBIs over the last five games.
Cardinals need to start scoring
The Cardinals have been slumping for the most part for a while, only averaging 3.5 runs in the last nine games.
Walker used up all his long balls
Jordan Walker (.285, 22 home runs, 77 RBIs) won the All-Star Home Run Derby and ranks third in the Majors in RBIs, but since the All-Star break, he has not gone yard, with only three RBIs over the last 10 games.
Cubs vs. Cardinals prediction: Cubs moneyline (-112)
Taking the hotter team here in the Cubs, as they are averaging 8.3 runs in their last three games and the Cardinals have only scored three runs in the last two games and are averaging 3.5 runs over the last nine games.
Player Prop Picks
Here are some player prop bets we like at DraftKings Sportsbook:
- Colin Rae 5+ strikeouts (+181) – Pretty good value bet for Rae, who has struck out at least five batters in three of his last four starts, including the last two.
- Alec Burleson (+496), Jordan Walker (+477) or JJ Wetherholt (+660) to hit a home run – While these players are slumping in terms of power numbers recently, they are the St. Louis leaders in home runs, and Chicago starter Colin Rae has given up five home runs over his last four starts.
