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Cardinals vs Cubs Prediction, Odds & Props to Target (July 22)
By Eric Rosales in MLB Baseball
Updated: July 26, 2023 at 8:17 am EDTPublished:
- The St Louis Cardinals are slight road favorites in their Saturday tilt vs the Chicago Cubs
- The Cubs snapped St Louis’ six-game win streak with a win Friday
- Don’t miss the latest Cardinals vs Cubs picks, props to target, and starting pitchers below
If either the St Louis Cardinals (44-54, 22-28 away) or Chicago Cubs (46-51, 25-26) want to see postseason action, they’re going to have to get real hot, real quick.
The Cubs stopped St Lou’s modest six-game win streak Friday, with a 4-3 win in the second game of their 4-game set.
Even with their recent hot streak, the Cards are still a stack of teams from the third and final Wild Card berth in the NL.
The Cubbies are in better shape, but they’re still six games behind in the chase.
These two teams clash Saturday (July 22) at 2:20pm ET from Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois You can watch the game live on MLB Network.
Cardinals vs Cubs Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Louis Cardinals | -126 | +1.5 (+126) | O 9.5 (-110) |
| Chicago Cubs | +108 | -1.5 (-152) | U 9.5 (-110) |
The MLB odds have the visiting Cardinals as -126 favorites in this one, an implied win probability of 55.75%. The total is set at 9.5 runs, a figure these teams have crossed in four of seven matchups this season.
Odds as of July 21 at FanDuel. Claim a FanDuel promo code to bet on Saturday’s matchup between the Cardinals and Cubs.Â
Probable Pitchers
Miles Mikolas gets the call for St Louis, and it’s been a good month for the 34-year-old. After taking four losses and a no-decision in June, the righty has won two in July, including his last outing, a 6-4 win over the Marlins.
Mikolas scattered seven hits over six innings of work, giving up three earned runs and striking out three without issuing a walk. He did surrender a pair of home runs, the first long balls allowed in five starts.
El Ronco sends one to the seats. #MakeItMiami pic.twitter.com/rTO8XwKFSu
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) July 18, 2023
He picked up a 3-1 win May 8 against the Cubs, though he lasted just 4.1 innings, allowing four hits, one earned run, walking three and fanning seven.
Chicago’s Tucker Barnhart is hitting .333 in 15 appearances against Mikolas, with a HR and two RBI. Third baseman Patrick Wisdom is the only other Cub to homer off him.
Mikolas vs Fulmer Stats
Miles Mikolas
VS
Michael Fulmer
| 6-5 | Record | 1-5 |
| 4.14 | ERA | 4.43 |
| 1.27 | WHIP | 1.29 |
| .310 | OBA | .316 |
| 3.46 | SO/W Ratio | 2.19 |
The Cubs are pivoting from expected starter Drew Smyly, with manager David Ross opting for right-handed reliever Michael Fulmer.
There’s no injury for Smyly, but he has been ineffective lately, and could just be getting a few extra days before off before getting another start.
Fulmer will be getting his first start since 2021, and he threw 15 pitches in Friday’s game, recording just a single out, walking two and striking out one. His start will likely just be an inning, with Ross maxing out the bullpen Saturday.
The 30-year-old Fulmer has a 4.43 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 46-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 42.2 innings this season.
Willson Contreras and Paul DeJong are the only Cardinals with at least seven at-bats vs Fulmer.
St Louis vs Chicago Prop Picks
Cody Bellinger stayed hot Friday, going 3-for-4 with a 2-run bomb in the Cubs’ win. He’s now hit safely in five straight games, with multiple hits in four of those contests.
He’s hitting just .111 vs Mikolas in nine at-bats, but I like the plus odds for him to stay hot. On DraftKings he’s -230 to go over 0.5 hits, so instead target 1.5 total bases, where the over pays out at +125.
Belli 💣s away! pic.twitter.com/QHiPhquYvI
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 21, 2023
For St Louis, Nolan Arrenado hit 1-for-5 on Friday, giving him hits in five straight games and six of his last seven. He’s had multiple hits in four of those contests.
He’ll see potentially four to five relievers Saturday, and the veteran should be able to continue his streak. Like Bellinger, -260 for over 0.5 hits doesn’t sound appealing, so stick with the 1.5 total bases, where the over cashes at +110.
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Cardinals vs Cubs Prediction
Despite taking the L Friday, St Louis has still been dominant in this head-to-head, winning seven of the last 10 meetings.
In the last two seasons, that mark runs to 16 wins over 23 games, including a sharp 65% winning percentage at Wrigley since the start of 2022.
Cardinals vs Cubs 2023 H2H Results
| Date | Away Team | Home Team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 21 | Cardinals | Cubs | CHI, 4-3 |
| July 20 | Cardinals | Cubs | STL, 7-2 |
| June 25 | Cubs | Cardinals | STL, 7-5 |
| June 24 | Cubs | Cardinals | CHI, 9-1 |
| May 10 | Cardinals | Cubs | CHI, 10-4 |
| May 9 | Cardinals | Cubs | STL, 6-4 |
| May 8 | Cardinals | Cubs | STL, 3-1 |
The Cubs have struggled as a home ‘dog, going just 7-11 on the season, and they haven’t been great at stringing together W’s going just 20-25 following a win.
That being said, the Cardinals aren’t exactly world beaters as road favorites: at 10-12, they have the second-worst success rate in MLB.
However, Mikolas is the best pitcher Saturday, and should be enough to get St Louis back in the win column.
Pick: Cardinals ML (-126)
Eric Rosales
Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
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