Having dropped six of their last eight, the Chicago Cubs turn to 30-year-old “rookie” sensation Shota Imanaga to get back into their 3-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The books are aware, part of the reason the Cubs — last place in the NL Central — are -166 moneyline favorites in the MLB odds Saturday afternoon at Wrigley.
See why my Cardinals vs. Cubs prediction for today sees Imanaga playing his role in a low total as my Cardinals vs Cubs MLB picks preview this June 15 matchup.
Cardinals vs Cubs prediction
My best bet
Under 8 (-114 at bet365)
My analysis
Shota Imanaga faces the Cardinals for the first time in his career, and a win would pull the Cubs into a tie with the second-place Cards in a crammed division chasing the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Japanese pitcher is 6-1 on the season, sporting a crisp 1.96 ERA, which ranks fourth in the majors. He’s also been in control of his pitches, allowing just 11 walks in 69 innings. He’s coming off a win last start, holding the Reds to five hits and two earned runs over 6 2-3 innings, while striking out seven in a 4-2 decision.
Aside from a forgettable 10-6 bombing at the hands of the Brewers, where he was tagged for seven earned, Imanaga has allowed two earned runs or fewer in his other 11 starts — six of those with zero earned runs.
This matchup seems to favor the lefty: St Louis is hitting just .128 against southpaws on the season, the second-worst mark in baseball. This from a team that’s already Bottom 4 in scoring, averaging only 3.91 runs per contest.
He’ll be up against fourth-year man Andre Pallante, who will be making his fourth straight start after beginning the year in the bullpen. In two of his outings, he’s allowed no earned runs — though sandwiched between that he was torched for six runs and chased in three innings in an 8-5 loss to the Astros.
But St. Louis’ recent strong run of play lately is because of pitching, as it's allowed two runs or fewer in four of its last five. Pallante started the run with a gem, tossing a 3-hit ball over five innings against the Rockies, while fanning six in a 5-1 win.
The Cubs aren’t an offensive juggernaut either, ranking in the bottom half of runs scored, and ranking fourth-worst in hitting with a .221 average.
The Under has hit in six of the last seven between these teams, and with two pitchers currently in a good groove, it’s worth targeting again.
Cardinals vs Cubs same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 8
Shota Imanaga Over 6.5 strikeouts
Masyn Winn Over 0.5 hits
Imanaga has a very makeable 6.5 strikeout line Saturday, as he’s consistently around that number. He’s fanned seven or more batters in six of his last eight outings. In one of those two fails, he threw six strikeouts. His only serious Under was the loss to the Brewers, where he struck out just one.
The Cards Top 10 in fewest strikeouts, but Imanaga should have an advantage as no one has faced him yet. That being said, it’s hard to ignore St Louis’ leading hitter Masyn Winn, who is hitting .301 on the year.
He picked up a hit in the Cards’ 3-0 win Friday, giving him hits in nine of his last 11 games. Winn has also had relatively good success against lefties on the campaign, hitting .260 with three homers and 12 RBI. He’s also had five doubles and 11 runs scored, all on a lower-end 73 at-bats.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Cardinals vs Cubs odds
Cardinals vs Cubs live odds
Cardinals vs Cubs opening odds
- Run line: St. Louis +1.5 (-155) | Chicago -1.5 (+130)
- Moneyline: St. Louis +145 | Chicago -170
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-105) | Under 8.5 (-115)
Cardinals vs Cubs spread and Over/Under analysis
- St. Louis has win four straight over the Cubs.
- Chicago is 3-1 as a moneyline favorite in its last four.
- The Under is 16-8-3 when the Cardinals are a road underdog.
- The Cubs have hit the Under is seven straight games.
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Cardinals vs Cubs trend
The Cardinals have hit the Under in five straight contests. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Cubs
Cardinals vs Cubs game info
| Location: | Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL |
| Date: | Saturday, 6-15-2024 |
| First pitch: | 2:20 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FS1 |
| Cardinals starting pitcher: | Andre Pallante (1-2, 6.16 ERA) |
| Cubs starting pitcher: | Shota Imanaga (5-1, 1.88 ERA) |
Cardinals vs Cubs latest injuries
Cardinals vs Cubs weather
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