It’s the middle game of a three-game series between National League Central squads on the diamond in the Windy City as the St. Louis Cardinals travel to face the Chicago Cubs on Sunday evening and we have you covered with our Cardinals vs. Cubs prediction. In the opening game of the series Friday afternoon, Chicago slugged a franchise-record eight homers in an 11-3 victory to draw first blood in the set. St. Louis evened the series as they rallied for an 8-6 triumph in the middle game of the set on Saturday afternoon. Which team gets the upper hand on getaway day? Read more about this Cardinals vs. Cubs prediction! Winning isn’t easy so you need the top MLB cappers.
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St. Louis Looking to Gain Ground in NL Central
St. Louis bounced back Saturday, snapping a four-game skid as they rallied to win the middle game of the set Saturday. The Cardinals entered Saturday night 48-42 and stood third in the NL Central, 5.5 games behind the Cubs for the top spot. Against Chicago, St. Louis rapped out 13 hits Saturday as Alec Burleson (run, RBI) led the way with three. Burleson (his 11th), Nolan Gorman (his eighth) and Yohel Pozo (his third, a pinch-hit three-run shot in the eighth breaking a 5-5 tie) each went deep for the Cardinals. Matthew Liberatore threw five innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts, but didn’t factor in the decision. Steven Matz (5-2) earned the win in relief, throwing 1.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit with two walks and three strikeouts. Ryan Helsley worked a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out one, for his 17th save.
Erick Fedde takes the ball for his 18th start of the year for the Cardinals in this contest. He is 3-8 with a 4.56 ERA, a 1.424 WHIP, 41 walks and 57 strikeouts over 92.2 innings of work on the year. Fedde took the loss in his last start, which came against the Pirates on the road Monday night. He threw five innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits with three walks and no strikeouts in an eventual 7-0 Cardinals defeat. In his last three starts, Fedde is 0-2 with a 9.88 ERA, a 2.269 WHIP, seven walks and six strikeouts over 13.2 innings of work. Fedde makes his sixth career start against the Cubs in this contest. He is 0-2 with a 7.92 ERA, a 1.56 WHIP, seven walks and 28 strikeouts over 25 innings of work against them. Fedde is 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA, a 1.565 WHIP, four walks and 18 strikeouts over 15.1 innings in three career starts at Wrigley Field.
Cubs Trying to Maintain Edge Atop Division
Chicago missed a chance to create more gap in the NL Central race as they faded late in Saturday’s contest with the Redbirds. The Cubs entered Saturday night 53-36 and held a 3.5-game edge on the Brewers for the top spot in the NL Central. Against St. Louis, Chicago had nine hits with Michael Busch (two runs, RBI) leading the charge with three. Busch (his 18th) and Carson Kelly (his 11th) each went deep for the Cubs in a losing effort. The Cubs were just two of 12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base in the game. Drew Pomeranz got the start as the opener, allowing two runs on one hit with two walks and one strikeout in one-third of an inning, but didn’t factor in the decision. Brad Keller (3-1) took the loss as he allowed five runs on five hits with no walks and one strikeout in one inning of relief.
Matthew Boyd gets the call for the Cubs as he makes his 18th start of the season in this contest. He is 8-3 with a 2.65 ERA, a 1.084 WHIP, 22 walks and 87 strikeouts over 98.2 innings of work this season. Boyd earned the win in his last start, which came Tuesday at home against the Guardians. He threw seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts in a 5-2 Cubs win. In his last three starts, Boyd is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA, a 0.722 WHIP, three walks and 14 strikeouts over 18 innings of work. Boyd makes his fifth career start against the Cardinals in this contest. He is 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA, a 0.739 WHIP, four walks and 26 strikeouts over 23 innings of work against them. Boyd is 7-0 with a 2.59 ERA, a 0.884 WHIP, six walks and 46 strikeouts over 48.2 innings of action in nine career appearances, eight starts, at Wrigley Field.
Best Bets for St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The teams split the first two games of the set but the pitching matchup skews heavily in favor of the hosts here. Boyd has been very good this season and has gone 7-1 since April 23, including a 3-0 mark in his last five starts. Meanwhile, Fedde is 0-5 in his last nine starts and hasn’t put one in the win column since May 9. He has been roughed up in his last few outings and that includes a beating at Busch Stadium against this same Cubs squad, giving up seven runs on eight hits, including three homers, in 3.2 innings of an 8-0 St. Louis loss. Boyd was on the bump for the Cubs in that outing. Given the fact that Chicago has piled up 17 runs in the first two games of the set, look for them to do some damage again to take the win here.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
St. Louis entered Saturday night having seen the over post a 46-41-3 mark on the season. The Cardinals are 12th in the majors, averaging 4.60 runs per game on the season, a number that drops to 4.41 runs per game on the road. St. Louis gives up 4.31 runs per game overall, a number that bumps to 4.48 runs per game on the road on the year. That gives the Cardinals an average total of 8.91 runs per game, which slips slightly to 8.89 runs per game as the road team. Chicago is second in the majors by averaging 5.40 runs per game, while allowing an average of 4.11 runs per game, resulting in an average of 9.51 runs per game. That number slips slightly to 5.21 runs at Wrigley Field, while they allow 4.14 runs, giving them an average total of 9.35 runs per game at the Friendly Confines. The Cubs have seen the over post a 45-36-8 mark on the season entering Saturday night. After 14 runs in the opener and 14 more Saturday, lean toward the over again here as temperatures are heating up in the Windy City.
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