Runs Could be Scarce as Cubs Visit St. Louis on Wednesday

The OVER is 2-0 so far in this four-game series between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. But with both teams sending their ace starting pitchers to the mound in Wednesday night’s game in St. Louis, runs could be at a premium.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Cubs opened as slight favorites at -107 in this matchup before betting action on the Cardinals drove the line up to St. Louis -121. Chicago is now a +111 underdog while the total has moved down to 8 runs since Sportsbook at 8.5 runs. The OVER is 5-2 in the last seven games between the Cubs and Cardinals.

Starting Pitchers Analysis

Kyle Hendricks is 12-4 this season with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 111 innings. He has pitched in three games against the Cardinals this year and has won all three with a 2.37 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 19 combined innings. Chicago is 10-2 in Hendricks’ last 12 starts.

Adam Wainwright has pitched well in his 16th season in the majors with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP across 18 starts. Wainwright has pitched in 52 games against the Cubs in his career, owning a 4.00 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 270.1 innings against Chicago. The 39-year-old has a 2.84 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP at home this season.

Chicago News & Notes

The Cubs appeared to be on their way to a second straight loss in St. Louis as they trailed 6-1 heading into the ninth inning on Tuesday night. Instead, Chicago pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind victory with a six-run inning fueled by three walks, three hits and a couple of errors. Javier Baez and Ian Happ each had a hit and two RBIs in the decisive inning.

By stealing the game away from the Cardinals in the ninth inning, the Cubs improved to 19-31 on the road this season and to 3-2 over the team’s last five games. Chicago and St. Louis head into Wednesday’s action with identical 47-48 records, both sitting seven games out of a wild-card spot and 8.5 games out of first place in the National League Central.

St. Louis News & Notes

St. Louis’s loss on Tuesday night was yet another frustrating reminder of how inconsistent this team has been all year long. The Cardinals had won three straight games, including two wins over the San Francisco Giants and an 8-3 victory in their series opener over the Cubs. But instead of closing out Tuesday’s game and building up some confidence and momentum, the Cardinals fumbled it away.

The St. Louis bullpen ranks 18th in the bigs with a 4.47 ERA and the starting staff ranks 16th with a 4.09 ERA. Last season, the Cards had the ninth-best starting staff with a 3.86 ERA and the 10th-best bullpen ERA at 4.00. Injuries and inconsistency have taken their toll.

Betting Pick: UNDER 8 runs