Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction, 7/29/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals

Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO

TV: Cardinals.TV

Odds/Point Spread: Chicago (-128) St. Louis (+106)

Busch Stadium is where the St. Louis Cardinals (53-53) will try to defeat the Chicago Cubs (60-46) on Wednesday. The moneyline on this game has the Cubs at -128 while the Cardinals open at +106. The total is set at 8.5. The pitchers taking the mound will be Matthew Boyd and Dustin May.

As a unit, the Chicago Cubs are notching 5.2 runs per game, which is 3rd in baseball. They are sitting with 548 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .339. The Cubs have tallied 173 doubles as a unit and have knocked 133 baseballs out of the park. They have accrued 514 RBI's and 901 base knocks so far this year, while their batting average is .248. Chicago has a slugging % of .415 and have struck out 913 times, while taking a walk on 460 occasions.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.57 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.27. Cubs pitchers have given up 161 home runs and also 468 total runs (12th in the league). Chicago has given up 876 base hits (8.4 per 9 innings) in addition to 443 earned runs. The Cubs are sitting with a team ERA of 4.22 on the campaign (17th in the league), and they have struck out 825 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 321 hitters and their FIP sits at 4.73 as a unit so far this year.

Cubs pitchers have come into the game with players on base 107 times in addition to having 103 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have recorded 38 holds over the course of the season (29th in MLB). The Cubs bullpen have recorded a save percentage of 56.4% and have entered the game in 83 save situations. They have recorded 22 saves this year and have blown 17 out of their 39 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 154 base runners over the course of the season with 31.8% of those runners crossing the plate. The Cubs have dispatched 347 relievers to the hill this year.

The Chicago Cubs have 2,833 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 982 assists and 41 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .989 which puts them in 2nd in professional baseball, and have a total of 80 double plays. The Cubs have turned 71.8% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 8,499 innings on the field, which ranks them 3rd in professional baseball.

Boyd (66-78 career mark) holds a FIP of 4.47 while going up against 4,860 opposing hitters during his time in the majors. He has surrendered 1,109 hits (8.7 hits per 9 innings) and has 353 free passes. His ERA is 4.54 (578 earned runs allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.275. Boyd has taken the ball for 1,147 frames and has earned 1,100 K's so far in his career.

The St. Louis Cardinals have an OBP of .315 and a team batting average of .240 for the year. They have struck out on 817 occasions (27th in MLB) and are sitting with 849 base knocks. St. Louis has knocked in 112 home runs so far this year and 457 runs batted in. The Cardinals hold a team slugging percentage of .381 and they earn 4.42 runs per contest (16th in the league). They have 143 two-baggers, while getting a free base 340 times and notching 469 runs.

The St. Louis pitching staff have surrendered 474 runs this year while having an ERA of 4.16 (437 earned runs given up). They have conceded 106 HR's and they surrender 4.51 runs per 9 innings (14th in baseball). The Cardinals hold a team WHIP of 1.339 with a FIP of 4.14 as a team so far this year. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 7.80 (815 strikeouts vs 355 free passes). They come in at 22nd in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits surrendered with 912.

Sitting with 122 save situations, the Cardinals have 69 holds in addition to 19 blown saves. St. Louis has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the contest in 50 save opportunities and they have earned 31 saves. St. Louis relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 35.9% of 167 inherited runners. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 127 times in high leverage situations in addition to 114 occasions with base runners. They are currently ranked 16th in MLB holding a save percentage of 62.0%, and they have sent 355 relievers to the hill so far this year.

In their 8,517 innings on the field, the Cardinals have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.4% (20th in the majors). The St. Louis Cardinals have turned 96 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .988 (7th in professional baseball). The Cardinals have accrued 987 assists, 47 errors and have earned 2,839 putouts so far this year.

During his pro baseball career, May has given up 380 base hits while he has tallied 400 strikeouts in 428 innings pitched. May (24-27 mark in his career) is the owner of a 4.04 earned run average and has surrendered 8.0 hits per nine innings. He has given up a total of 192 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.229 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.0. His K/BB ratio is 2.74 and he has faced 1,797 batters in his career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take St. Louis (+106)

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