The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs have already clinched a playoff spot in the National League. The St. Louis Cardinals still have a chance to qualify for a Wild Card spot, but their hopes are dwindling fast. Cole Hamels will make the start for the Cubs in this game, and he will be opposed by Mikolas for the Cardinals.
The Chicago Cubs are a slim favorite over the Cardinals in his game. The money line for this game is Cubs -120. The over/under for total runs is set at 8.0 for game two of the series.
Cubs vs. Cardinals Odds
Spread: Chicago Cubs -120
Total: 8
Cubs vs. Cardinals Head to Head
The Cubs and Cardinals have met 17 times already this season. The Cardinals hold a slim 9-8 lead over the Cubs, after Chicago won the series opener of this series.
Cubs vs. Cardinals Stats
Veteran left-hander Cole Hamels is 4-2 with a 2.47 earned run average since joining the Cubs. He won his first four starts with the team, but has struggled in his last two outings. Anthony Rizzo is still looking for one run batted in to reach 100 RBIs for the fourth straight season. The Cubs first baseman has belted 24 home runs this season.
Miles Mikolas has emerged as the ace of the Cardinals pitching staff this season. The right-hander is 17-4 with a 2.94 earned run average in 2018. First baseman Matt Carpenter has belted 36 home runs this season and comes into this game with a .376 on-base percentage. Jose Martinez leads the St. Louis team with a .305 batting average.
Cubs vs. Cardinals News
The St. Louis Cardinals have lost four straight games and have now fallen out of a Wild Card spot. With their loss on Friday afternoon, the Cardinals fell to 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, pending LA’s result on Friday night. Former Cardinals closer, Bud Norris left the game on Friday with an undisclosed injury and his status for this game is unclear.
The Chicago Cubs are playing without starting shortstop Addison Russell this weekend. Russell was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball after being accused of domestic abuse. Closer Pedro Strop is close to returning to the mound for the Cubs and could see action in this series.
Cubs vs. Cardinals Predictions
The Cubs look like a team that wants to win the National League Central, while the Cardinals appear to be in a free fall. This game should be a terrific pitching matchup, but each team has major bullpen issues. The Cardinals offense has been struggling as Matt Carpenter has had a rough month of September. Look for the Cubs offense to find a way to get the job done in this game en route to another win. Bet the Chicago Cubs -120 in this game.