St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Picks and Prediction for Sunday, July 5, 2026
Use Code WWWC The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Chicago Cubs on Sunday at 2:30 PM ET at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. St. Louis is 46-39 and is third in the NL Central, while Chicago is 49-39 and is second in the division. The Cardinals opened this series with a dominant 17-1 victory on Friday after winning two of three games in Atlanta, while the Cubs had won four straight before that loss. Chicago holds a three-game lead over St. Louis in the division standings, making the series finale another important matchup between NL Central rivals. Check out all our free MLB picks.
St. Louis Cardinals Looking to Keep Their Momentum Going
St. Louis has produced a solid offensive season, batting .248 with 396 runs, 710 hits, 97 home runs, a .325 on-base percentage, and a .397 slugging percentage. Jordan Walker continues to lead the lineup with a .290 batting average, 19 home runs, 63 RBI, and 94 hits. Alec Burleson has added 14 home runs and 62 RBI, JJ Wetherholt is batting .260 with 12 home runs, and Ivan Herrera owns a team-best .396 on-base percentage. The Cardinals erupted for 17 runs in Friday's series opener and have scored 40 runs over their last five games.
The Cardinals have also received dependable work from their pitching staff, ranking 18th in Major League Baseball with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. St. Louis pitchers have held opponents to a .255 batting average while recording 618 strikeouts and allowing 89 home runs. The staff has complemented the offense during the club's recent stretch, helping the Cardinals win four of their last five games.
Injuries: Dustin May (Day-To-Day), Ramón Urías (60-Day IL).
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Chicago Cubs Looking to Bounce Back
Chicago has been one of the National League's better offensive clubs, batting .245 with 449 runs, 737 hits, 112 home runs, a .339 on-base percentage, and a .413 slugging percentage. Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the Cubs with a .287 batting average, 19 home runs, 49 RBI, and 95 hits. Dansby Swanson has driven in a team-high 57 runs with 16 home runs, Ian Happ has contributed 17 home runs, while Seiya Suzuki is batting .271 with 13 home runs. Despite Friday's loss, Chicago scored 39 runs during its previous four-game winning streak.
The Cubs have posted respectable numbers on the mound, ranking 19th in MLB with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Chicago pitchers have limited opponents to a .241 batting average while recording 673 strikeouts. The Cubs have generally received consistent work from their staff this season and will look for a stronger response after allowing 17 runs in the series opener.
Injuries: Riley Martin (15-Day IL), Hunter Harvey (60-Day IL), Matt Shaw (10-Day IL), Jameson Taillon (15-Day IL), Phil Maton (15-Day IL).
Pitching Matchup
St. Louis Cardinals – Matthew Liberatore
Liberatore is 4-5 with a 5.33 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP across 82.2 innings this season. He has allowed 95 hits while striking out 79 batters and walking 33. Liberatore will need to keep the ball in the park after surrendering 17 home runs this season.
Chicago Cubs – Javier Assad
Assad is 6-1 with a 4.53 ERA and an outstanding 1.12 WHIP over 51.2 innings. He has given up only 45 hits while issuing 13 walks and striking out 31 batters. Assad has consistently limited baserunners and has helped Chicago win the majority of his starts.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Game Pick
- Chicago Cubs
Friday's result was difficult for Chicago, but the Cubs remain the stronger overall club entering this matchup. Chicago owns the more productive offense over the course of the season and sends Assad to the mound with a significant edge over Liberatore. The Cardinals' lineup is capable of another strong performance, but asking them to duplicate Friday's offensive outburst is a difficult task. With a deeper lineup, home-field advantage, and the better starting pitching matchup, the Cubs will win.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Over/Under Pick
- Over
Both offenses have shown the ability to score in bunches entering this matchup. Chicago has scored 39 runs over its previous five games, while St. Louis exploded for 17 runs in the series opener and has scored 40 runs across its last five contests. Liberatore owns a 5.33 ERA, while Assad has pitched well but still carries a 4.53 ERA. With two productive lineups and recent offensive form pointing toward another high-scoring game, the over is the play.
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