The St. Louis Cardinals (56-52) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (52-58) on Thursday, August 1st. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MARQ. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:05 CT.

Cardinals vs. Cubs Betting Prediction

• Money Line Prediction: Cardinals (-104)
• Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs

• The Cardinals have won 3 out of their last 4 road games, showing strong recent performance away from home.
• In the last 15 games, the Cardinals have scored 5 or more runs in 8 games, indicating a potent offense.
• Against the Cubs in their last series, the Cardinals won 3 out of 5 games, demonstrating recent success against their upcoming opponent.
• The Cardinals have a balanced record of 5-5 in their last 10 games, while the Cubs have a similar 5-5 record, but the Cardinals have shown more consistency in scoring.
• In their last 15 games, the Cardinals have had 5 games where they scored 6 or more runs, showcasing their ability to generate high-scoring games.

Cardinals vs Cubs

The Cardinals Are Coming Off A Win

Heading into their last game vs. the Rangers, the Cardinals closed out the series with a 10-1 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -101 on the money line. It was a big 3rd inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Rangers could only score one run, which came in the 6th.

Michael McGreevy put together a good start for the Cardinals, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. St. Louis’s offense was carried by Tommy Pham, who went 3/4 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. The Cardinals also had three other players with two hits.

St. Louis has a 56-52 record and are five games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They have won two straight games and are 16-16 against NL Central teams this season. The Cardinals’ overall series record is 17-14-3.

For run line bettors, it’s worth noting that the Cardinals have a .500 record against the run line overall, with an average run margin of -0.3. Their games have averaged 8 runs per game this season, and they have gone over the line in 52 of 105 games. The O/U record for games with an 8-run line is 7-11-1.

Sonny Gray Gets The Start For The Cardinals

Sonny Gray gets the start for the Cardinals today as he faces the Cubs on the road. He has made 19 starts this season and has a record of 10-6 with an ERA of 3.79. Gray’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.10. In his 19 appearances, he has turned in eight quality starts. Gray’s last outing came on July 26th vs. the Nationals, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. Gray’s ERA on the road is 5.6 compared to 2.9 at home.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

The Cardinals offense has been pretty average this season, as they are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. They have been a better offense at home, averaging 4.4 runs per game. St. Louis has been a pretty good hitting team this season, with a team batting average of .247 (10th). However, they have been bad in terms of isolated power, as their team ISO of .141 is 22nd in the league.

Paul Goldschmidt has been swinging a hot bat for the Cardinals, going 12/38 (.316) with three homers over his last 10 games. Alec Burleson is the team’s leading home run hitter, with 18 homers, and is also 1st on the team with 63 RBIs. Brendan Donovan has gone deep nine times this season and is batting .264.

The Cubs Are Coming Off A Win

Ian Happ had a big game at the plate for the Cubs in their 13-4 win over the Reds to close out their series. He went 3/4 with a homer and two RBIs. The Cubs really broke things open with a seven-run 2nd inning. Looking at the betting lines going into the game, the Cubs were the slight underdog at +133.

Kyle Hendricks started for the Cubs, going five innings and giving up three runs on four hits. He only had four strikeouts in the outing and got the win.

Chicago has struggled against the run line at home, posting a 19-33 record, but they are 34-24 on the road. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.5, and their over/under record for games with an 8-run line is 4-14-1. As underdogs, the Cubs are 40-20 vs. the run line.

The Cubs are 52-58 overall and are 10 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They have a 27-25 record at home and are 5th in the division. Chicago’s straight-up record as underdogs is 29-31, and they have won three straight games in that role.

Shota Imanaga Gets The Start For The Cubs

Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and comes into the game with a record of 8-2 and ERA of 2.95. So far this season, he has made 19 starts, and opponents are batting .233 off the left-hander. Imanaga has turned in 12 quality starts this year and is averaging 9.11 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Imanaga finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone six straight starts without taking a loss. The Cubs will be looking for Imanaga to get back on track today, as he has finished with a no-decision in three straight outings.

Cubs Offense Breakdown

Over the last 10 games, Ian Happ has hit just .205 for the Cubs, but he does come into the game as the team’s leader in home runs (17) and RBIs (62). Happ’s 17 homers are 14th in the league. Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki both come into the game on four-game hitting streaks, with Suzuki hitting .308 over his last 10 games.

As a team, the Cubs are batting just .234, which is 17th in the MLB. They are also one of the league’s worst home run hitting teams and are averaging just 4.2 runs per game. Chicago’s team on-base percentage is just .310, which is 14th in the league.

Cardinals vs Cubs Prediction

Our predicted final score for this Cardinals and Cubs matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Cardinals. With the money line sitting at -104, we see this as a great opportunity to grab the Cardinals and would recommend locking in this pick.

Looking at the starting pitchers, Sonny Gray is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, and his opponent, Shota Imanaga, is projected to finish with six. As for the Cubs and Cardinals lineups, the Cardinals are predicted to finish with eight strikeouts, compared to the Cubs, who are projected to finish with eight.

---

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.