The Chicago Cubs (27-24) travel to face off against the St. Louis Cardinals (23-26) on Friday, May 24th. This game will be played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and televised on MARQ. The Cardinals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cubs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Braves. First pitch is set for 8:15 ET.
Cubs vs Cardinals
The Cubs will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Braves with a 3-0 loss. Chicago was actually the slight favorite at home going into the game but fell behind early, as the Braves scored three times in the 2nd.
Ben Brown got the start for the Cubs and took the loss. He only lasted four innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits. Chicago’s offense was held to just four hits and didnjson’t have any timely hitting, as they didn’t score a run.
Chicago is 27-24 overall this season, and they are 2nd in the NL Central, two games behind the Brewers. The Cubs are heading into today’s game having dropped two straight games, and they went 3-7 over their last 10 games. At home, the Cubs are 15-11 this year, and they are just under .500 at 12-13 on the road.
As the road favorite, the Cubs have gone 4-2 this year, and they are 12-9 overall as the favorite. Chicago’s series record is 7-7-2 this year, and they lost three straight series before their most recent series vs. the Braves.
When the Cubs win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.1 runs per game. However, when they lose, they lose big, with an average run margin of -3.6 runs per game. Overall, the Cubs are 26-25 against the run line this season, and they have been a better bet on the road, where they are 15-10 against the run line.
The Chicago Cubs are on the road today against the St. Louis Cardinals with an over/under line of 7.5 runs. The Cubs have a combined run average of 8.6 runs per game this season and their over/under record is 21-28. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and when the line has been set at 7.5 runs, their record is 6-7. Overall, 60.8% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 7.5 runs.
Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs
Through nine starts, Shota Imanaga has a record of 5-0 and an ERA of .84 for the Cubs. He has made six quality starts this season and is coming off an outing in which he didn’t allow a run. In that May 18th start vs. the Pirates, Imanaga went seven innings, giving up four hits, one walk, and he struck out seven. Imanaga has been tough to score on all season, as he has only allowed earned runs in three of his nine starts. The left-hander’s WHIP for the season is .91.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Cubs are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in the league. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.2 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .225, which is 19th in the league, and their team on-base percentage of .309 is 11th in the league. The Cubs are also near the bottom of the league in slugging percentage and OPS.
Chicago’s top power hitter this season has been Christopher Morel, who has 9 homers but is batting just .205. Morel has really struggled of late, going 1/13 over his last five games. Cody Bellinger and Michael Busch are also tied for 2nd on the team with seven homers, but Bellinger is batting just .241, and Busch is hitting .235.
Heading into their last game vs. the Orioles, the Cardinals closed out the series with a 5-4 win. St. Louis was the +109 underdog at home going into this matchup. It was a big 3rd inning for the Cardinals, as they scored three runs in the inning. The Orioles could only score three runs in the 3rd, so the Cardinals were able to pick up the win.
Kyle Gibson put together a good start for the Cardinals, going four innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just one walk and struck out three Orioles batters. Masyn Winn was hot at the plate, going 2/4 with a homer and two RBIs.
St. Louis hosts the Cubs with an overall record of 23-26, and they are five games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. So far, they have struggled vs. other NL Central teams, going 1-6 this season. The Cardinals have won three straight games, and this came after sweeping the Orioles in a three-game series.
As the home team, the Cardinals are 11-12 this season, and they are 12-14 on the road. St. Louis has an even series record of 8-8 this season, and they have won three straight series. Coming into today’s game, the Cardinals have gone 8-2 over their last 10.
When it comes to the run line, the Cardinals have been a better bet at home than on the road this season. They are 13-10 against the run line at Busch Stadium, while they are 12-14 on the road. They are currently on a three-game run line win streak at home and have covered the run line in two straight games as an underdog.
Today’s over/under line for the St. Louis Cardinals’ game against the Chicago Cubs is set at 7.5 runs. The Cardinals’ games have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season, and their overall over/under record is 23-24. When the over/under line has been set at 7.5 runs, their games have gone over the total 3 times and under 9 times. Overall, 71.4% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 7.5 runs.
Miles Mikolas Gets The Start For The Cardinals
St. Louis is sending Miles Mikolas to the mound today vs. the Cubs, and he will be looking to rebound from his last outing, where he finished with a no-decision. Against the Red Sox, he went five innings, giving up one earned run on four hits. Looking back further, Mikolas has made 10 starts and has a record of 3-5. His ERA for the season is 5.77, along with a WHIP of 1.40. Opposing batters are hitting .294 off Mikolas this year. So far, he has turned in four quality starts and is averaging 6.62 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, Mikolas has allowed nine homers.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
St. Louis is hoping that Alec Burleson can keep his hot hitting going, as he is currently on an eight-game hitting streak and has gone 15/37 in his last 10 games. During this stretch, he has two home runs and four RBIs. Nolan Gorman has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 7/25 in his last eight games, including three homers and seven RBIs.
So far this season, the Cardinals offense is averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 26th in the league. They have also been one of the worst home run hitting teams in the league and are batting a combined .231. Willson Contreras has been a bright spot, hitting .280 with a team-high six homers.
Cubs vs Cardinals Prediction
Our predicted final score for this Cubs and Cardinals matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Cubs. With the Cubs predicted to pick up the win, we recommend taking them on the money line, where the payout is -142.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Shota Imanaga going nine innings, and he is projected to finish with five strikeouts. As for Miles Mikolas, he is projected to finish with four strikeouts and give up more hits than Imanaga.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 24, 2024 Cardinals, Cubs