St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction & Betting Tips 7/12/2024

St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Preview

Both the Cubs and Cardinals will be looking to pick up a win in tonight’s NL Central matchup, as this one is getting started at 8:15 PM ET from Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO. The Cubs have won four straight and are 45-49, while the Cardinals are 48-44 overall and 2nd in the NL Central.

Chicago is starting Kyle Hendricks, while Sonny Gray is on the mound for the Cardinals. St. Louis is the heavy favorite on the money line at -196, while the Cubs are at +163. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and APLTV is carrying this one on TV.

Check out BetCoco for St. Louis Cardinals – Chicago Cubs odds

St. Louis Cardinals Trends and Key Stats

• 4-1 is the record of Cubs in their last five road games. They have also gone 4-1 vs. the runline.
• Conversely, the Cardinals have achieved a 4-1 (SU) record and 2-3 record in their last five home games.
• In their last ten games as the favorite, the Cardinals have a record of 6-4 straight-up, and have gone 3-7 against the runline.
• Over their previous ten games as the underdog, the Cubs have a straight-up record of 5-5 and a 5-5 record vs. the runline.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction

Dansby Swanson had a big game for the Cubs in their 8-0 win over the Orioles to close out their series. He went 2/4 with a homer and two RBIs. The Cubs really broke things open with a three-run 5th inning and added another three runs in the 7th. Chicago was the +115 underdog going into this road game.

Justin Steele started for the Cubs, going seven innings and not giving up a run. He also issued just three hits and struck out four. Steele was efficient with his pitches, throwing only 85 pitches, and didn’t issue a walk.

Chicago is on the road today, taking on the Cardinals with an overall record of 45-49. They are 5th in the NL Central, nine games behind the Brewers for the division lead. The Cubs head into today’s game on a four-game winning streak, and they are 10-19 against other teams in the NL Central.

At home, the Cubs have gone 25-21 this year, and they are 20-28 on the road. As the road underdog, the Cubs are 14-22 this year and have won three straight road games. Chicago has won two straight series, and their overall series record is 11-16-2.

Chicago is 46-48 against the run line this season, but they are 28-20 on the road. Their average run margin is -0.1 runs per game, and they are 3-0 against the run line in their last three road games. They are 33-17 against the run line as an underdog this season.

The Chicago Cubs are on the road today against the St. Louis Cardinals. The over/under line for the game is set at 8 runs, which is right around their season average of 8.5 runs per game. The Cubs have gone under the line in 11 of the 15 games when the line has been set at 8 runs this season. Their games have gone under the line in two straight contests.

Kyle Hendricks is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Angels, where he took the loss and gave up two earned runs in just 2 innings of work. In that outing, he gave up a home run. Overall, Hendricks has a record of 1-7 and an ERA of 7.53. Looking at his home/road splits, Hendricks has an ERA of 8.54 on the road compared to 6.67 at home. He has made just one quality start this year. Per nine innings, Hendricks is averaging 6.68 strikeouts and 2.84 walks.

Chicago’s offense has been pretty average this season, as they are 18th in runs per game (4.2) and have a team batting average of .232, which is also 16th in the league. The team’s home run total of 91 is 16th in the MLB. The Cubs have been good at drawing walks this season and have the 4th fewest strikeouts in the league.

Michael Busch has been on a tear for the Cubs, going 10/22 in his last five games with two homers and six RBIs. He is also on an eight-game hitting streak. Over this stretch, he has scored seven runs. Cody Bellinger and Ian Happ are the Cubs’ top home run hitters this season, with 9 and 14 homers, respectively.

Lars Nootbaar had a big game for the Cardinals in their most recent game vs. the Royals, going 2/4 with a homer and two RBIs. The Cardinals really needed a big game from Nootbaar, as they closed out their series vs. the Royals with an 8-5 loss. St. Louis was actually the slight favorite at home going into the game but fell behind early, as the Royals scored three times in the 2nd.

Gordon Graceffo got the start for the Cardinals and took the loss. He only lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits. The Cardinals also issued three walks and hit a batter. St. Louis’s bullpen didnjson’t give up any more runs after Graceffo’s exit, but the Cardinals still couldn’t complete the comeback.

St. Louis is hosting the Cubs today with an overall record of 48-44, which has them five games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. The Cardinals dropped the final two games of their series vs. the Royals, and they are 13-12 in divisional games this year.

At home, the Cardinals are 24-20 this season and 24-24 on the road. As the favorite, St. Louis has gone 25-21 and 23-23 as the underdog. They have dropped two straight games as the favorite, and their overall series record is 15-12-2. Looking at how they have played recently, the Cardinals are 6-4 over their last ten games.

When the Cardinals are favored, they are a good bet to cover the run line, as they are 29-17. However, when they are the underdog, they are just 17-29 against the run line. Their average run differential in wins is +2.5, but in losses, it’s -3.5.

St. Louis is averaging 8.6 runs per game this season, and the over/under line for today’s game is set at 8 runs. The Cardinals have hit the over in 43 of their 89 games this season, and when the line has been set at 8 runs, they have gone over in 7 of 17 games. The over has hit in two straight games for St. Louis.

Sonny Gray gets the start for the Cardinals today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he gave up five earned runs in five innings of work. In that outing vs. the Nationals, he gave up one homer. Looking back over his last four outings, Gray has allowed a homer in three of them. Gray’s ERA for the season is 3.30, along with a record of 9-5. Opponents are batting .201 off Gray this season. One positive note is that he has made seven quality starts this year. Per nine innings, Gray is averaging 11.17 strikeouts and just 2.33 walks.

For the season, the Cardinals are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 22nd in the MLB. They have also been a below-average home run hitting team and are near the bottom of the league in terms of isolated power. As a team, they are batting .244, which is the 10th best mark in the league.

Right fielder Alec Burleson has been the team’s top power threat this season, as his 15 home runs leads the team and is 13th in the MLB. He is also batting .282 and has gone 13/41 with three homers over his last 10 games. Brendan Donovan has also been a solid offensive player for the Cardinals, hitting .270 with eight homers.

Our favorite bet for today’s Cubs and Cardinals matchup is to take the over, as we see the Cardinals coming out on top by a score of 6-5. With the line sitting at eight runs, we see this as a good opportunity to get some value on the over.

Looking at some potential player props, Sonny Gray is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the second-best projection among starters. As for Kyle Hendricks, he is only projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is the second-worst among starters.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Betting Tips

• Take the Cardinals on the moneyline
• On the run line we like the Cubs (+1.5)
• Projecting a combined 11 runs, we like the over

St. Louis Cardinals Injury Report

Chicago Cubs Injury Report