Sunday, September 25, 2016
Wrigley Field
For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here
Probable Pitchers: Carlos Martinez vs. Jon Lester
The St. Louis Cardinals visit Wrigley Field on Sunday to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Carlos Martinez for the Cardinals and Jon Lester for the Cubs. The Cardinals have a 79-68-6 over/under record and a 71-82-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 46% of the time. The Cubs are 81-72-0 against the run line and have a 68-77-8 over/under record. They cover the spread 53% of the time.
The Cardinals head into this matchup with a 80-73 record, including 47-32 on the road. Starting pitcher Carlos Martinez has a 15-8 record with an earned run average of 3.16 and a WHIP of 1.22. He has 159 strikeouts over his 182.1 innings pitched and he has given up 158 hits so far this season. He has allowed 7.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.63. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.55 and they have given up 401 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .223 against the bullpen while being struck out 466 times and walking 185 times this season. As a team, St. Louis has allowed 8.81 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.91 batters per nine. They are 12th in the league in team earned run average at 4.06. The Cardinals pitchers have collectively given up 1,339 base hits and 617 earned runs. They have allowed 149 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. St. Louis as a pitching staff has walked 454 batters and struck out 1,202. They walk 3 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.31 and their FIP as a unit is 3.89.
As a team, St. Louis is batting .254, good for 18th in the league while putting together a .257 average away from home. The Cardinals hold a .440 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .324 which is good for 11th in baseball. They rank 19th in baseball with 8.69 hits per game. Stephen Piscotty comes into this game hitting .270 and his on-base percentage is at .341. He has 148 hits this season along with 80 runs scored and 81 runs batted in. He's struck out 128 times and has walked 49 times. Aledmys Diaz is hitting .303 and he has an on-base percentage of .368. He has totaled 115 hits so far while scoring 66 runs and he's driven in 61. He has walked 36 times and has struck out 58 times. The Cardinals have 1,331 hits, including 281 doubles and 212 home runs. They've stolen 35 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 25 times. St. Louis has walked 497 times this season and they've struck out 1,252 times as a unit. They've left 1,053 men on base and have a team OPS of .764. They score 4.76 runs per contest and have scored a total of 728 runs so far this year.
Chicago comes into this matchup with a 56-23 home record and a 98-55 overall mark. With an earned run average of 2.36, Jon Lester has a 18-4 record and a 1.01 WHIP. He has 184 strikeouts over the 191 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 145 hits. He has allowed 6.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.4. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.42 and they have given up 340 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .207 against the Cubs bullpen while being struck out 483 times and walking 184 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 6.83 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.89 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 3.04. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,053 base knocks and 472 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 157 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 466 hitters and struck out 1,367. They give up a walk 3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.9 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.10 while their FIP as a staff is 3.76.
As a team, they are batting .256, good for 13th in the league while putting together a .254 average at home. The Cubs hold a .428 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .343 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 17th in baseball with 8.72 hits per contest. Anthony Rizzo comes into this matchup batting .295 and he has an OBP of .390. He has 164 hits this year along with 90 runs scored and 105 RBI. He's struck out 101 times and has walked on 73 occasions. Kris Bryant is hitting .297 and he has an OBP of .388. He has collected 172 hits so far while he's scored 118 runs and drove in 99. He has earned a walk 71 times and has punched out 147 times. The Cubs as a unit have 1,334 base hits, including 277 doubles and 189 homers. They have 60 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 33 times. Chicago as a team has walked 615 times this year and they have struck out 1,264 times. They've had 1,151 men left on base and have an OPS of .771. They score 4.97 runs per game and have totaled 760 runs so far this season.
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends
The St. Louis Cardinals are 79-68-6 against the over/under so far this season
The St. Louis Cardinals are 71-82-0 against the run line so far this season
Chicago Cubs Betting Trends
The Chicago Cubs are 68-77-8 against the over/under so far this season
The Chicago Cubs are 81-72-0 against the run line so far this season
Injuries to Watch
St. Louis Cardinals
09/05/16 P Seth Maness Elbow 60-day DL (8/14)
08/12/16 LF Matt Holliday Thumb 15-day DL (8/12)
08/03/16 P Tyler Lyons Knee 60-day DL (7/31), out for season
05/26/16 P Mitch Harris Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Jordan Walden Abdominal 60-day DL (3/31)
04/04/16 P Lance Lynn Elbow 60-day DL (3/25); out for season
Chicago Cubs
04/08/16 C Kyle Schwarber Knee 60-day DL (4/8); out for season
04/04/16 P Aaron Brooks Hip 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 3B Christian Villanueva Fibula 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Dallas Beeler Shoulder 60-day DL (3/25)
03/31/16 P Zac Rosscup Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)
Guy's Pick: Take the Cardinals
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