Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals 5/5/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Busch Stadium

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Tyler Chatwood vs. Luke Weaver

The Chicago Cubs visit Busch Stadium on Saturday, May 5, 2018 to play the St. Louis Cardinals. The probable starters are Tyler Chatwood for the Cubs and Luke Weaver for the Cardinals.

The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at +128 and St. Louis at -138. The Cubs have a 11-16-1 over/under record and a 13-15-0 run line mark. The Cardinals are 14-15-0 against the run line and have a 12-14-3 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 11-16-1 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 13-15-0 against the run line

Important St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 12-14-3 against the over/under

The St. Louis Cardinals are 14-15-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

04/21/18 P Eddie Butler Groin 10-day DL (04/20)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Key St. Louis Cardinals Injuries

04/23/18 P Adam Wainwright Elbow 10-day DL (04/20)
04/13/18 P Sam Tuivailala Knee 10-day DL (04/10)
03/31/18 P Alex Reyes Elbow 60-day DL (03/31)
03/31/18 P Brett Cecil Shoulder 10-day DL (03/31)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Cubs have a 16-12 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood has a 2-3 record with an earned run average of 2.83 and a WHIP of 1.47 this season. He has 27 strikeouts over his 28.2 innings pitched and he's given up 20 hits. He's allowed 6.3 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.06. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.67 and they have given up 81 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .217 against the bullpen and they've struck out 101 hitters and walked 48 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.6 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.6 batters per nine innings. They are 7th in the league in team earned run average at 3.48. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 217 base hits and 99 earned runs. They have allowed 28 home runs this season, ranking them 22nd in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 120 batters and struck out 244. They have walked 4.2 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.32 and their FIP as a unit is 4.24.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .244, good for 14th in the league. The Cubs hold a .406 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .324, which is good for 10th in baseball. They rank 12th in MLB with 8.5 hits per game. Javier Baez is hitting .279 with an on-base percentage of .330. He has 29 hits this season in 104 at bats with 26 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .625 and an OPS+ of 155. Kris Bryant is hitting .287 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .427. He has totaled 25 hits and he has driven in 12 men in 87 at bats. His OPS+ is 158 while his slugging percentage is at .517. The Cubs have 237 hits, including 52 doubles and 28 home runs. Chicago has walked 93 times so far this season and they have struck out 243 times as a unit. They have left 209 men on base and have a team OPS of .730. They score 4.86 runs per contest and have scored a total of 136 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

St. Louis has a 17-12 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 5.17, Luke Weaver has a 2-2 record and a 1.37 WHIP. He has 30 strikeouts over the 31.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 29 hits. He's allowing 8.3 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.54. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.49 and they have given up 94 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .249 against the Cardinals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 94 batters and walked 47 opposing hitters. As a team, St. Louis allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.3 batters per nine innings. They are 4th in the league in team earned run average at 3.32. The Cardinals pitchers as a team have surrendered 237 base knocks and 98 earned runs this season. They have given up 22 home runs this year, which ranks 30th in Major League Baseball. St. Louis as a staff has walked 110 hitters and struck out 245 batters. They give up a walk 3.7 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.3 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.31 while their FIP as a staff is 3.89.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .235, good for 24th in the league. The Cardinals hold a .394 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .317, which is good for 17th in baseball. They rank 23rd in MLB with 7.9 hits per contest. Jose Martinez comes into this matchup batting .286 with an OBP of .361. He has 30 hits this year along with 18 RBI in 105 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .457 with an OPS+ of 128. Tommy Pham is hitting .330 this season and he has an OBP of .447. He has collected 31 hits in 94 at bats while driving in 11 runs. He has an OPS+ of 171 and a slugging percentage of .521. The Cardinals as a unit have 228 base hits, including 44 doubles and 37 homers. St. Louis has walked 109 times this year and they have struck out on 255 occasions. They have had 194 men left on base and have an OPS of .711. They have scored 4.55 runs per game and totaled 132 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Cubs/Cardinals MLB game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Cardinals -138

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn