Cardinals vs Cubs Odds, Picks, and Props to Target (August 1)
By Zach Reger in MLB Baseball
Published:
- One of the greatest rivalries in the MLB resumes tonight as the Cardinals play the Cubs at Wrigley Field
- The Cubs are slight -115 favorites over the Cardinals in tonight’s NL Central clash
- Keep reading for Cardinals vs Cubs odds, picks, and player props for August 1
The Cardinals and Cubs begin their four-game series tonight at 8:05 ET. The Cardinals took two of three from the Rangers at home in their last series, while the Cubs lost two of three against the Reds. Chicago defeated the Reds 13-4 yesterday, so they are fresh off a strong performance.
St. Louis heads into this series in second place in the NL Central. The Cardinals are battling for a Wild Card spot as they are 1.5 games back from the last spot. The Cubs meanwhile sit in last place in the division. St. Louis is 6-3 in the season series against the Cubs.
See below the latest Cardinals vs Cubs odds as well as our best bets.
Cardinals vs Cubs Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals | -1.5 (+160) | -105 | Over 8 (-105) |
| Chicago Cubs | +1.5 (+192) | -115 | Under 8 (-115) |
Odds as of August 1 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Cubs are -115 which means sportsbooks are giving Chicago a 53.49% chance to win at home. The O/U is set at 8, with the under having slightly more juice. A pitcher’s duel is certainly possible with Sonny Gray and Shota Imanaga on the mound, but there is some value on the over.
Cardinals vs Cubs Picks
Both of these offenses have seemed to finally come to life. The Cubs put up 13 runs against the Reds yesterday, while the Cardinals scored a combined 18 runs in their last two games. Both lineups feature plenty of talent, but neither has quite lived up to their potential this season. I expect them to continue this trend of scoring runs tonight at Wrigley Field.
Sonny Gray takes the mound for the Cardinals, and while he still has an ERA under 4, the wheels fell off in July. Gray had a 6.75 ERA through four starts last month and allowed five earned runs in three of those four appearances. His best performance of July was when he faced the Cubs and allowed three earned runs. He also struggles on the road, where he has a 5.29 ERA compared to a 2.67 ERA at Busch Stadium.
The Cubs’ starter Shota Imanaga is the opposite of Sonny Gray. He had a 5.67 ERA in June but turned things around in July. Imanaga had a 2.55 ERA last month. Imanaga faced the Cardinals once this season already and pitched well. He allowed one run through seven innings pitched and struck out six. Imanaga should see some success again tonight against a Cardinals lineup that hits just .227 against lefties.
The Cardinals have been successful against the Cubs this season, and with their improving offense, they should still be able to get some runs across home against Imanaga who has allowed at least three runs in four of his last six starts. Then the Cubs will also have batting practice against Sonny Gray, so I will be targeting the total in this NL Central showdown. I like Over 8 runs to be scored.
MLB Picks Today:
Over 8 Runs (-105)
St. Louis vs Chicago Player Props
My favorite player props in tonight’s NL Central matchup is:
Alec Burleson Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+100)
It’s a small sample size but Alec Burleson is 1 for 3 with a double against Imanaga. Burleson has been one of St. Louis’s top batters of late. He hit .291 and slugged .495 in the month of July, and in a game where I am expecting runs to be scored, I like getting even money on Burleson to get at least two hits, runs, or RBIs tonight. He has recorded a hit in all three of his games at Wrigley Field this season.
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Zach has been involved in the sports betting industry for three years. After starting to bet on sports in college, Zach was interested in how it can make any game interesting. The trends, line movement, and finding unique angles to predict the outcomes of games captivated Zach to get more involved.
