by James Q
Friday, Oct 01, 2021Chicago Cubs vs St Louis Cardinals Odds Preview Picks - 10/02/2021
Game Time: 7:20 pm ET, Saturday, October 28th, 2021
Venue: Busch Stadium, St Louis, Missouri
Where to Watch: FOX, Marquee Sports Network
Opening MLB Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Money-line: Cards -180 Cubs + 155; Over/Under: 9 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline: Cards -180 Cubs + 155; Over/Under: 9 runs
VegasInsider: Moneyline: Cards -180 Cubs + 155; Over/Under: 9 runs
Season Record
Cubs: 69-90 (4th place NL Central)
Cardinals: 89-70 (2nd place NL Central)
Nelly’s went 3-0 Thursday including cashing in our MLB Best Bet last night. We are 9-1 in our last 10 baseball picks for a red hot late season run, going 17-5-1 since Sep. 12. There are only a few impactful games on Friday's schedule and Nelly’s is involved in one of them as we look to deliver another winning BEST BET TOTAL in MLB.... Get Nelly’s picks! They are available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Cubs vs Cardinals Preview and Analysis
RECENT FORM
The Cubs are 3-7 over their last ten games. They logged 8 Overs and 2 Unders during that span. They went 1-2 against the Milwaukee Brewers, 0-4 against the Str Louis Cardinals during a four-game series and the Cardinals' history making 17-0 run, 2-1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs have been lousy this season. September was no different. The National League Central isn’t even a tough division and still the Cubs flounder.
The Cardinals are 9-1 over their last ten games. The Cards found a spark in September and became a team that won 17 games in a row. A historic Streak for the National League Central and a nearly 100 year mark in the NL. They Swept the Brewers 3-0, They swept the Cubs 4-0, They went 2-1 against the Brewers again. During this stretch the Cubs proved they are a better team than we thought and that the Brewers are a worse team than we thought.
Offensive Analysis
The Cubs hitters are 24th in team batting average .236, 24th in total hits 1232, 21st in runs scored 693, it’s only the homer where the Cubs jump up, ranked 11th with 207. They need a few more at bats from Frank Schwindel.
The Cardinals batters are 12th in batting average .243, 20th in runs scored 695, 16th in home runs 194. The Cardinals would have an entirely different season if they weren’t 24th in BB 467. What the homers needed was a few more base runners per contest.
Defensive Analysis
The Cubs pitching staff is 27th in team ERA 4.91, 27th in WHIP 1.40, 18th in strikeouts 1337. They have individual guys that perform well like Zach Davies, but overall they need a whole rebuild from the mound.
The Cardinals’ squad has a pretty good collection of relievers but a lousy save rate (27th). Overall they have a below average pitching staff. They are 13th in team ERA 3.97, 17th in WHIP, 28th in walks 596, and they are 30th in strikeouts with a low, low 1202 for the season. They may have found something during the win-streak… but without pitching they will be shown the exit from the postseason quickly.
Cubs vs Cardinals Prediction
Our prediction for Saturday, October 2nd is…. Cards: 7 - Cubs 2
Don't miss our champion handicappers' Free MLB Picks and Premium Selections every day here at Bigal.com. Just click on Shop Picks for our Best Bets, or click on Shop Subscriptions to
join for a week or a month. And if you enjoyed this Cubs/Cardinals preview, be sure to bookmark Bigal.com for our daily Game Previews and Predictions. Also get all your NFL, NBA, WNBA, Hockey, and NCAA everything! Insights that can’t be beat!
MLB Betting Trends
The Cubs are 29-63 as the underdog, -19 Units on the moneyline.
The Cubs are 38-51 in night games -7.9 Units on the Moneyline.
The Cardinals are 89-70, +19.6 Units on the moneyline.
The Cardinals are 51-30 as the favorite, +10.6 Units on the moneyline.
Key Injuries
Cardinals: Yadier Molina C (Shoulder) Out * Edmundo Sosa SS (wrist) Out
Cubs: D Bote 3B (shoulder) Out * A. Romaine C (undisclosed) Out
Players to Watch
The Cubs will give Adrian Simpson the first pitch. The right-handed pitcher is 1-2, 2.87 ERA, 21 strikeouts in 31 innings of work, 1.05 WHIP. The 29 year old had his last outing against the Cards on 9/25 when he threw 6 innings and gave up 3 hits and 2 ER. He looks more like a bullpen guy than a starter, but the season is almost done and they’ve got nowhere to go and nothing to do. There aren’t a lot of Cubs pitchers to choose from.
The Cards will start Jon Lester 7-6, 4.62 earned run average, 87 SO in 136 IP, 1.50 WHIP. In his last game the 37 year old Lester gave up 8 hits and 3 earned runs in 5 innings. It was also against the same Cubs pitcher as this time. It ended in a Cards win… so why mess with what works?
Notable Quotes
“We got some good vibes going in there and everyone’s kind of feeding off of and staying consistent and obviously it’s translating to the performance and just having fun with it, honestly,” -Dylan Carlson, Cardinals rookie hit two go-ahead home runs to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers.
Starting Lineups
Cubs:
R. Ortega, CF
F. Schwindel, 1B
I. Happ, LF
M. Duffy, 3B
T. Thompson, RF
S. Alcantara, SS
T. Giambrone, 2B
E. Castillo, C
Cardinals:
T. Edman, 2B
P. Goldschmidt, 1B
T. O'Neill, LF
N. Arenado, 3B
L. Nootbaar, RF
H. Bader, CF
P. DeJong, SS
A. Knizner, C
Statistical Leaders
Cubs:
Batting Average: Ian Happ .225
Home Runs: Patrick Wisdom 28
RBI: Javier Baez 65
Wins: Kyle Hendricks 14
Saves: Craig Kimbrell 23
Cards:
Wins: Adam Wainwright 17
Saves: Alex Reyes 29
Batting AVG: Paul Goldschmidt .295
Home Runs: Nolan Arenado 34
RBI: Nolan Arenado 105
Weather Forecast
Rain. There is a 70% chance all day long. Humidity 83% because of all the water in the air. High temperature of 78* during the day, but probably not during the time that cold water falls from the sky.
James Q
About the Author:
James Q. has been involved with sports and gambling his entire life. A former division 1 scholarship basketball player, James understands sports (and especially basketball) inside-and-out. Following his basketball playing days, James parlayed his gambling skills into a semi-pro poker career. James resides in Los Angeles, and especially loves the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Rams, and Los Angeles Dodgers. And when he isn't betting on sports (and writing about it), James can be found performing stand-up comedy on the Sunset Strip.
