Cardinals-Cubs prediction: Picks, odds on Monday, May 8

The Chicago Cubs renew their rivalry with the slumping St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of a three-game series on Monday, May 8. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field. Miles Mikolas (1-1, 5.79 ERA) will take the mound for the Cards, while Marcus Stroman (2-2, 2.18 ERA) goes for the Cubs.

Chicago is a -140 moneyline favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, with St. Louis coming in at +120. The total is set at 7.

Cubs

Out: SP Kyle Hendricks (shoulder), RP Brandon Hughes (knee), C Yan Gomes (concussion)

Cardinals

Out: OF Tyler O'Neill (back), SP/RP Jake Woodford (shoulder), RP Packy Naughton (forearm), INF Jose Fermin (quad)

Miles Mikolas vs. Marcus Stroman

Mikolas pitched 5.2 frames and allowed eight hits and three runs in his latest start against the Los Angeles Angels. Before that, he had a zero-run, 6.1-inning performance against the Giants. This marked just the second time this season that Mikolas has reached the sixth inning.

Stroman allowed just one run in six innings against the Nationals in his last outing, striking out five batters on the way. He has been hovering right around that six inning mark in nearly every game, and has three starts this season with zero earned runs allowed.

The Cardinals had quite the outing to break their losing streak, scoring 12 runs against the Detroit Tigers after dropping eight games in a row. Can they continue this against Stroman? I don't think it will quite be to that extent, but if their bats are hot, we can expect the Cards to contribute a few. With such a low total, I like the over here – especially given Mikolas' struggles.

Pick: Over 7

The Cubs have seen some energy injected into their offense in recent home games. They scored a consistent four runs in each game of their latest series against the Miami Marlins, and have been batting well against right-handers, which could be an issue for the struggling Mikolas. The Cardinals have had a hard time winning on the road (and in general), and I think Chicago should be able to hold on and take this first one at home, even with St. Louis' momentum from yesterday's 12-run outburst.

Pick: Cubs

  
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