The St. Louis Cardinals will look to turn around their recent fortunes when they take on the National League Central rival Chicago Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball. The Cardinals (32-32), who are 16-17 on the road this season, are 2-8 in their last 10 games. The Cubs (37-27), who are 23-10 at home on the year, have won five of the last six games in the series. Chicago has won 14 of 19 and is tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the division.
First pitch from Wrigley Field in Chicago is set for 7:08 p.m. ET. The Cubs are fifth in MLB with 88 home runs, while the Cardinals are 15th with 74. Chicago is a -125 favorite on the money line in the latest Cardinals vs. Cubs odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total runs scored is 9.5. Before making any Cubs vs. Cardinals picks, check out the latest Sunday Night Baseball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
This model, which simulates every pitch of every game 10,000 times, had a banner 2019 season, the league's last full schedule, returning more than $1,400 on its top-rated money-line and run-line MLB picks. It is off to a fast start in 2021, going 79-62 on top-rated MLB money-line picks through 10 weeks, returning well over $600. Anyone following it has seen huge rewards.
Now, the model has dialed in on Cardinals vs. Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the MLB lines and trends for Cubs vs. Cardinals:
- Cardinals vs. Cubs money line: St. Louis +115, Chicago -125
- Cardinals vs. Cubs run line: Chicago -1.5
- Cardinals vs. Cubs over-under: 9.5 runs
- STL: The Cardinals have lost their last seven games against an NL Central opponent
- CHI: The Cubs are 7-1 in their last eight home games against a right-handed starter
Why you should back the Cubs
First baseman Anthony Rizzo has been a thorn in the side of the Cardinals for a long time. Although he is 1-for-6 in the series so far, it was his home run on Friday that tied the game at 5-5 en route to the Cubs' 8-5 victory. In 147 career games against St. Louis, he is batting .282 with 28 doubles, two triples, 22 homers and 79 RBIs. He also has a .471 career slugging percentage against the Cardinals. For the season, Rizzo is hitting .265 with seven homers, 28 RBIs and has 27 runs scored.
Also giving St. Louis fits is outfielder Joc Pederson, who has two homers and four RBIs in the series. He also homered against the Cardinals in the first series and has seven career homers and 13 RBIs in 32 games against them. For the year, Pederson is hitting .250 with nine home runs, 26 RBIs and has scored 23 runs. In his last four games, he is 7-for-17 (.412) with two doubles, three homers and five RBIs.
Why you should back the Cardinals
St. Louis will start right-hander Carlos Martinez (3-6, 6.21 ERA), who has pitched better of late. In his last outing, he took the loss after going four innings against the Cleveland Indians. He gave up five runs on seven hits, but walked just one and struck out seven. He pitched against the Cubs on May 21, going six innings. He allowed just two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out two.
Third baseman Nolan Arenado has been one of the few bright spots in the series for St. Louis, going 3-for-7 with a home run. Over the past six games, he is 11-for-23 (.478) with two doubles and four RBIs. He has also walked three times. For the season, Arenado is batting .286 with 12 homers, 44 RBIs and 33 runs scored. In 49 career games against Chicago, he is batting .292 with 12 doubles, 13 homers and 47 RBIs.
How to make Cubs vs. Cardinals picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, as the teams combine for 9.1 runs in the simulations, and it also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cardinals vs. Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the money line to jump on, all from the advanced model off to a hot start in 2021.
