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The Chicago Cubs (27-24) take on the St. Louis Cardinals (23-26) Friday in the opener of a 3-game set at Busch Stadium at 8:15 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Cubs vs. Cardinals odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting; Cubs won 8-5 last year
One of the best rivalries in baseball is renewed Friday, and if you’re in the St. Louis area, Bally Sports Midwest has a treat in store. Chip Caray and Joe Buck will be on the call for 1 night only. Caray is the grandson of legendary Cubs and Cardinals announcer Harry Caray, and Buck is the son of legendary Cardinals announcer Jack Buck.
The Cubs limp into town just 3-7 over their last 10 as they completed a 2-5 homestand. They’ve scored just 23 runs in the last 10 games. One thing they have in their corner, though, is the MLB ERA leader Shota Imanaga on the hill.
The Cards are coming off their most optimistic series in a couple of years as they completed a 3-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles. They are 8-2 over their last 10 to climb within 5 games of the NL Central lead. SS Masyn Winn is a budding star as the rookie is hitting .295 with 2 homers, 15 RBIs and 7 steals while playing electric defense. He has a 2.0 WAR on the young season.
Cubs at Cardinals projected starters
LHP Shota Imanaga vs. RHP Miles Mikolas
Imanaga (5-0, 0.84 ERA) makes his 10th start. He has a 0.91 WHIP, 1.5 BB/9 and 9.7 K/9 in 52 2/3 innings.
- Last start: No-decision, 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K Saturday against Pittsburgh Pirates
- Locates his 92-mph 4-seam heater well; opposing hitters have just a .164 BA against it, while he has thrown it 58.2% of the time
- Has not faced Cardinals before
Mikolas (3-5, 5.77 ERA) makes his 11th start. He has a 1.40 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9 and 6.6 K/9 in 53 innings.
- Last start: No-decision, 5 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K Saturday against Boston Red Sox
- Last 5 starts vs. Cubs: 1-2, 3.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 17 K in 24 2/3 IP
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Cubs at Cardinals odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:07 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Cubs -140 (bet $140 to win $110) | Cardinals +115 (bet $100 to win $115)
- Run line (RL)/Against the spread (ATS): Cubs -1.5 (+125) | Cardinals +1.5 (-155)
- Over/Under (O/U): 7.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Cubs at Cardinals picks and predictions
Prediction
Cubs 5, Cardinals 3
Moneyline
Mikolas is not the same pitcher after the league abolished defensive shifting. He was an All-Star in 2022, but he allowed a league-high 226 hits last year and has allowed 63 in 53 IP this year. The Cards are on fire, but they generally struggle against pitchers they haven’t seen before. And Imanaga has the entire league off balance.
I’ll take the CUBS -140.
Run line/Against the spread
Imanaga has 7+ K’s in 5 straight starts. The Cards are a little whiff-heavy at 13th-easiest to fan at 8.53 K’s per game. The Cards don’t have a lot of right-handed-hitting depth, and we’ll see some lefty-on-lefty action. Lefties are striking out at a 28% clip against Imanaga this season.
Take SHOTA IMANAGA OVER 5.5 K’S (-110).
Over/Under
It’s slated to be a humid, 78-degree evening with the wind blowing out to left-center at 7 mph. The Cubs are just 3-7 O/U in their last 10 with their struggles at the plate. The Cards are 8-2 with their resurgence at the plate.
This is a tricky total because of Imanaga’s dominance. You could need the Cubs to score 6+ to cash an Over. But Mikolas has allowed at least 3 ER in 6 of his 10 starts. So that’s a good starting point to cash the OVER 7.5 (-115).
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