Game Information
St. Louis Cardinals (47-42) at Chicago Cubs (53-35)
Time: 1:20pm CT Saturday
How to watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Probable pitchers: Matthew Liberatore (6-6, 3.70 ERA) vs Drew Pomeranz (2-1, 0.00 ERA)
DraftKings Odds
Moneyline: Cubs -164, Cardinals +134
Total: 11 (over -114, under -107)
Slumping Cards Face Streaking Cubs
Two teams headed in opposite directions meet again this afternoon when the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs play the second of their three-game set at Wrigley Field.
After getting drilled yesterday 11-3, the Redbirds have now dropped four straight games by a combined score of 24-3. The Cubs have won four in a row and have opened up a 4 game lead on the Brewers and a 6.5 game edge over the Cards in the NL Central.
Libby On The Bump
It’s going to be about 90 degrees at Wrigley with the wind blowing out at about 15 MPH, so it’s going to be a challenge for pitchers today. Matthew Liberatore gets the assignment hoping to stymie the Cubs for a second straight week. The left-hander pitched 7 innings of 2-run ball in a win over Chicago back on June 23rd.
After a three-start stretch where he struggled by allowing 16 earned runs in 14 innings, Liberatore has gotten back in a groove. He has been the winning pitcher in his last three outings while giving up just 4 runs on 14 hits in 19 innings of work.
Cubs Look To Keep Mashing
After belting a franchise-record 8 home runs yesterday, the Cubs have to be itching to get back out there on a favorable day for hitters at Wrigley. They rank 3rd in MLB in home runs and slugging percentage and 4th in OPS.
It’ll be a bullpen game for Chicago today after Jameson Taillon hit the IL yesterday with a calf injury. A bullpen game isn’t a bad thing for the Cubs, as their 3.22 bullpen ERA ranks 2nd in baseball. Drew Pomeranz will be the opener today. The left-hander remarkably has yet to allow an earned run in 23.1 innings pitched this season.
My Pick
With the wind blowing out on a hot day, I have a bad feeling about this game. The Cubs’ hitters are brimming with confidence, while I’m not sure the Cardinals' hitters are in the type of groove where they can take advantage of the favorable conditions.
The Cubs will be able to mix and match all day with their strong bullpen to attack the Redbirds’ lineup, and it’ll be up to Liberatore to try to keep the ball on the ground and limit the damage. While I love Libby long-term, I don’t love his chances today.
Here’s thinking the nightmare week continues today for the Cardinals.
Pick: Cubs -1 at -115 on DraftKings (bet to -120)
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Friday on the STL Sports Central YouTube channel. Follow him on X @GamblingDads, and click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams. Picks = betting the game - minus odds betting to win 1 unit, plus odds risking 1 unit. Leans = no strong opinion, not betting the game. Disclaimer