The NL Central's biggest rivalry continues Saturday when the St. Louis Cardinals (44-54) and Chicago Cubs (46-51) meet for the third consecutive day at Wrigley Field.
- Cardinals vs Cubs Game Info
- Cardinals vs Cubs Odds & Spread
- Cardinals vs Cubs Betting Trends
- Cardinals vs Cubs Prediction & Pick
- Cardinals vs Cubs Best Bet
Cardinals vs Cubs Game Info
- Date:'Saturday, July 22, 2023
- Time:'2:20 p.m. ET
- Venue:'Wrigley Field — Chicago, Illinois
- Coverage:'Marquee Sports Network, B ally Sports Southwest
The Cubs aim for back-to-back wins today following yesterday's 4-3 victory over the Cardinals. Chicago first baseman Cody Bellinger crushed a two-run homer in the third inning while starting pitcher Justin Steele struck out nine batters over 6 1/3 innings for his 10th win of the 2023 season.
Cardinals vs Cubs Odds & Spread
- Moneyline:'STL: (-130) | CHC: (+110)
- Spread:'STL: -1.5 (+122) | CHC: +1.5 (-146)
- Total:'9.5 — Over : (-110) | Under: (-110)
The Cardinals enter this contest as road favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 2:20 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 9.5 runs with both sides being available at -110 odds.
Cardinals vs Cubs Betting Trends
- St. Louis is 8-3 straight up (SU) in its last 11 games against the Cubs.
- The Cubs are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games against the NL Central.
- The total has hit the Under in six of St. Louis' last nine games on a Saturday.
- The total has hit the Over in seven of the Cubs' last nine home games.
Cardinals vs Cubs Prediction & Pick
After their six-game winning streak ended yesterday, the Cardinals turn to starting pitcher Miles Mikolas to get them back on track. The former 2009 seventh-rounder has been excellent lately, giving up just three earned runs in his last three starts (16 innings). He's also 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his last eight games against Chicago.
Meanwhile, the Cubs are opening with Michael Fulmer in what'll likely be a bullpen game. Fulmer – who hasn't started a game since May 2021 – has done an excellent job in relief lately, playing to a 1.23 ERA with 22 strikeouts over his last 22 innings. He also threw out 15 pitches last night, recording one strikeout with two walks.
I'm backing the Cardinals to return to their winning ways today. Mikolas has been great lately and owns a 3.00 ERA in nine previous games (seven starts) at Wrigley Field. The Cubs bullpen isn't anything special (4.16 ERA, No. 8 in NL) and can be taken advantage of if St. Louis' batters start off hot.
With more recent positive results on their side, the Cardinals should win this game.
Final Score Prediction:'Cardinals: 5 | Cubs: 3
Cardinals vs Cubs Best Bet
For the best bet, I'm taking the Under on Miles Mikolas' 4.5-strikeout total. Although he's been one of St. Louis' best pitchers, Mikolas is far from a strikeout machine. He's only averaging 6.1 K's per nine innings and has finished with the Under on this prop in all but one of his last nine starts.
I still expect another strong showing for Mikolas, however, I don't see it happening with five or more strikeouts.