St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 7/3/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Friday, July 3, 2026

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: St. Louis (+102) Chicago (-122)

The Chicago Cubs (48-38) will try to beat the St. Louis Cardinals (44-38) at Wrigley Field on Friday. The odds on this game have St. Louis at +102 and Chicago is priced at -122. The total is 9. The pitchers expected to start will be Andre Pallante and Javier Assad.

The Cardinals have accumulated 114 doubles as a squad and have hit 91 balls out of the park. St. Louis owns a slugging percentage of .393 and have struck out 631 times, while being walked on 273 occasions. As a squad, the St. Louis Cardinals are recording 4.5 runs per game, which puts them at 16th in the league. They have recorded 355 RBI's in addition to 676 hits this year, while their batting average is at .246. They have notched a total of 367 runs scored and hold an OBP of .323.

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The Cardinals have a team ERA of 4.24 on the campaign (18th in the league), and their staff has struck out 618 batters. Cardinals pitchers have conceded 89 home runs and also 373 total runs (13th in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 276 hitters and their FIP sits at 4.28 as a squad on the campaign. St. Louis has yielded 712 hits (8.7 per 9 innings) in addition to 346 earned runs. They have a K/BB ratio of 2.24 and the pitching staff sits with a WHIP of 1.35.

The Cardinals relievers have a save rate of 66.7% and have come into the game in 100 save situations. They have accumulated 26 saves over the course of the season and have blown 13 out of their 39 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 128 runners for the year and 35.2% of those runners crossing the plate. Cardinals bullpen pitchers have entered the game with runners on 89 times as well as having 97 appearances in high leverage situations. The Cardinals have dispatched 278 relief pitchers to the mound this year. The relief pitchers are sitting with 59 holds for the year (3rd in MLB).

The Cardinals have transformed 69.6% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 6,603 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 18th in the majors. The St. Louis Cardinals have notched a total of 2,201 putouts on the campaign, as well as 781 assists and 37 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .988 which ranks 8th in pro baseball, and have 76 double plays.

Pallante (33-34 win-loss record in his career) has a FIP of 4.18 and he has gone up against 2,357 opposing hitters during his time in the major leagues. He has allowed 556 hits (9.1 hits per 9 innings) and has 206 free passes. His ERA is 4.25 (259 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.388. Pallante has thrown 549 innings and has tallied 389 strikeouts during his MLB career.

The Cubs hold a slugging percentage of .405 and they have an average of 4.94 runs per game (5th in baseball). They have recorded 136 two-baggers, while taking a walk 383 times and scoring 425 runs. Chicago has knocked in 104 home runs so far this year to go along with 396 runs batted in. They have struck out on 727 occasions (13th in the league) and have 713 hits. The Chicago Cubs have a team on-base percentage of .338 and a batting average of .243 for the season.

The Cubs have a team WHIP of 1.255 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.72 as a team on the year. They come in at 16th in baseball as a staff in total hits conceded with 695. The Chicago pitching staff have allowed 382 runs for the season while having a team ERA of 4.25 (361 earned runs surrendered). Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 7.90 (673 strikeouts against 265 bases on balls). They have relinquished 131 long balls and they allow 4.49 runs per 9 innings (15th in MLB).

Sitting with 62 save situations, the Cubs have amassed 29 holds and 14 blown saves. Chicago has called on relievers to take the mound in 28 save opportunities and they have converted 14 saves. Chicago bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 29.5% out of their 122 inherited runners. Their relievers have stepped onto the hill 83 times in high leverage situations and also on 86 occasions with runners on. They are currently ranked 27th in baseball holding a save rate of 50.0%, and they have sent 280 relievers to the hill on the season.

In 6,888 innings on the diamond, the Cubs have a defensive efficiency of 72.3% (2nd in the majors). The Chicago Cubs have turned 60 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .989 (5th in baseball). The Cubs have recorded 798 assists, 34 errors and are sitting with 2,296 putouts for the year.

So far in his pro baseball career, Assad has surrendered 349 base knocks while accumulating 302 strikeouts in 382 innings pitched. Assad (24-13 career record) is the owner of a 3.58 earned run average while allowing 8.2 hits per nine innings. He has surrendered 152 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.303 and having a FIP of 3.5. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.03 and he has faced 1,613 batters in his career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take St. Louis (+102)

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