Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals 5/6/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Busch Stadium

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jon Lester vs. Michael Wacha

The Chicago Cubs visit Busch Stadium on Sunday, May 6, 2018 to play the St. Louis Cardinals. The probable starters are Jon Lester for the Cubs and Michael Wacha for the Cardinals.

The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at +110 and St. Louis at -120. The Cubs have a 11-17-1 over/under record and a 14-15-0 run line mark. The Cardinals are 14-16-0 against the run line and have a 12-15-3 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 11-17-1 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 14-15-0 against the run line

Important St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 12-15-3 against the over/under

The St. Louis Cardinals are 14-16-0 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 16-13 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jon Lester has a 2-1 record with an earned run average of 2.73 and a WHIP of 1.24 this season. He has 27 strikeouts over his 33 innings pitched and he's given up 28 hits. He's allowed 7.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.56. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.57 and they have given up 85 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .219 against the bullpen and they've struck out 104 hitters and walked 49 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.6 batters per nine innings. They are 5th in the league in team earned run average at 3.38. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 226 base hits and 99 earned runs. They have allowed 29 home runs this season, ranking them 24th in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 125 batters and struck out 251. They have walked 4.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.33 and their FIP as a unit is 4.24.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .244, good for 15th in the league. The Cubs hold a .403 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .322, which is good for 12th in baseball. They rank 14th in MLB with 8.5 hits per game. Javier Baez is hitting .287 with an on-base percentage of .336. He has 31 hits this season in 108 at bats with 26 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .620 and an OPS+ of 155. Kris Bryant is hitting .283 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .417. He has totaled 26 hits and he has driven in 12 men in 92 at bats. His OPS+ is 153 while his slugging percentage is at .511. The Cubs have 247 hits, including 54 doubles and 28 home runs. Chicago has walked 93 times so far this season and they have struck out 248 times as a unit. They have left 218 men on base and have a team OPS of .724. They score 4.76 runs per contest and have scored a total of 138 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

St. Louis has a 18-12 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.62, Michael Wacha has a 4-1 record and a 1.39 WHIP. He has 26 strikeouts over the 32.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 30 hits. He's allowing 8.4 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.85. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.60 and they have given up 97 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .251 against the Cardinals bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 95 batters and walked 47 opposing hitters. As a team, St. Louis allows 8.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.2 batters per nine innings. They are 3rd in the league in team earned run average at 3.28. The Cardinals pitchers as a team have surrendered 247 base knocks and 100 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 250 batters. They give up a walk 3.6 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.2 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.30 while their FIP as a staff is 3.81.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .236, good for 22nd in the league. The Cardinals hold a .394 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .319, which is good for 17th in baseball. They rank 24th in MLB with 7.9 hits per contest. Jose Martinez comes into this matchup batting .294 with an OBP of .366. He has 32 hits this year along with 18 RBI in 109 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .459 with an OPS+ of 129. Tommy Pham is hitting .327 this season and he has an OBP of .441. He has collected 32 hits in 98 at bats while driving in 14 runs. He has an OPS+ of 173 and a slugging percentage of .541. The Cardinals as a unit have 237 base hits, including 44 doubles and 38 homers. St. Louis has walked 114 times this year and they have struck out on 262 occasions. They have had 203 men left on base and have an OPS of .713. They have scored 4.5 runs per game and totaled 135 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Cardinals -120

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