St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Picks and Prediction for Saturday, August 15, 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Chicago Cubs on Saturday at 2:20 PM ET at Wrigley Field. St. Louis is 61-60, third in the NL Central and 13.5 games behind Milwaukee after Wednesday’s 7-1 win over Philadelphia. The Cardinals have won three of their last five. Chicago is 71-51, second in the division and four games behind Milwaukee after Thursday’s 7-0 loss at Washington. The Cubs have won three of five. The season series is tied 5-5 entering Friday’s opener. Cash in  a winner with our free MLB picks.

St. Louis Cardinals Enter on Two-Game Winning Streak

St. Louis is batting .241 with a .316 on-base percentage and .379 slugging percentage while scoring 529 runs with 122 home runs. Alec Burleson leads the Cardinals with a .287 average, 131 hits and 84 RBIs while adding 19 homers. Jordan Walker is batting .284 with a team-high 23 home runs and 84 RBIs. St. Louis has scored 27 runs over its last five games and enters the series after consecutive wins over Philadelphia, including a shutout Tuesday.

The Cardinals rank 13th in MLB pitching with a 4.07 ERA and 1.34 WHIP while opponents are batting .253. St. Louis has recorded 923 strikeouts, 35 saves, eight shutouts and 45 quality starts. The staff has allowed 19 runs over the last five games, including only one run across the two most recent victories. St. Louis is 29-26 away and 20-27 in day games.

Injuries: Ramon Urias (60-Day IL), Max Rajcic (60-Day IL).

Chicago Cubs Return Home After Shutout Loss

Chicago is batting .249 with a .339 on-base percentage and .418 slugging percentage while scoring 634 runs with 155 home runs. Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the Cubs with a .281 average, 27 homers, 73 RBIs and 130 hits while posting a .920 OPS. Seiya Suzuki is batting .271 with 20 homers and 70 RBIs, while Ian Happ also has 20 home runs. Chicago scored 33 runs during its last five games despite being shut out by Washington on Thursday.

The Cubs rank 14th in MLB pitching with a 4.08 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while opponents are batting .245. Chicago has 929 strikeouts, 28 saves, four shutouts and 37 quality starts. The Cubs have surrendered 27 runs over their last five games, allowing at least six runs three times during that stretch. Chicago is 35-24 at Wrigley Field and 27-23 during day games.

Injuries: Daniel Palencia (15-Day IL), Hoby Milner (15-Day IL), Gavin Hollowell (15-Day IL), Edward Cabrera (15-Day IL), Matt Shaw (10-Day IL).

Pitching Matchup

St. Louis Cardinals – Michael McGreevy

McGreevy is 4-9 with a 3.64 ERA and 1.22 WHIP through 126 innings. The right-hander has allowed 122 hits and 32 walks while striking out 85 and surrendering 17 home runs. McGreevy faces a Chicago lineup that has produced 634 runs and a .757 OPS this season.

Chicago Cubs – Matthew Boyd

Boyd is 8-1 with a 3.50 ERA and 1.22 WHIP through 79.2 innings. The left-hander has allowed 74 hits, 23 walks and nine home runs while striking out 66. St. Louis owns a .695 team OPS and has hit 122 home runs, giving Boyd a favorable statistical matchup.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Game Pick

• Chicago Cubs

Chicago is the game pick behind the stronger lineup and home record. The Cubs have scored 634 runs compared with 529 for St. Louis and hold advantages in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and home runs. Boyd also enters with an 8-1 record and 3.50 ERA. Chicago has gone 35-24 at Wrigley Field, while St. Louis is below .500 in day games. The Cardinals have played well recently, but the Cubs have the better overall opportunity to win this matchup.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Over/Under Pick

• Over

The over is the preferred total pick with Chicago’s offense producing 33 runs across its last five games despite Thursday’s shutout. The Cubs have scored 634 runs this season and carry several power threats, including Crow-Armstrong, Suzuki and Happ. St. Louis has also scored 27 runs over its last five contests. Both starters have ERAs between 3.50 and 3.64, but neither bullpen is backed by a team pitching ERA below 4.00. The recent scoring from both lineups will help the over cash on Saturday.