The Cubs snuck away with another one in extra innings last night to earn their 10th straight win and will send their ace Jake Arrieta to the bump this afternoon to face Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of their four-game set.
Arrieta had started to look human again until his eight-inning no-run outing vs the Athletics in his last start. He now owns a 2.59 ERA and a 13-5 record on the season to go along with a 1.71 ERA at Wrigley Field. In two starts against the Cardinals this year, Arrieta is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA.
It’s been night and day for Wainwright at home and on the road this year as he has given up all 10 home runs he’s allowed away from the comfort of Busch Stadium. The veteran righty has also seen his numbers fall off a cliff this season as he owns a 4.34 ERA and 1.32 WHIP through 23 starts compared to a career 3.10 ERA and 1.17 WHIP.
Arrieta is near the top of the league in pitcher run support and Wainwright has a significant chance of getting blown up tonight – this is a good opportunity to hop on the Cubs runline.
St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Chicago Cubs sport a record of 72-41 heading into this matchup, while the St. Louis Cardinals sit at 60-55 on the season Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Chicago vs St. Louis injuries news.
This game matches up the No. 1 (Chicago Cubs) and the No. 28 (St. Louis Cardinals) teams, according to our current MLB Power Rankings.
Statistical Matchup
Rating these teams in several key categories is important for handicappers and Chicago has baseball's No. 4-rated offensive output, at 8.63 hits per game. The St. Louis Cardinals average 8.79 hits per game, good for No. 14 on the list.
Chicago owns the No. 1 defense, allowing 5.03 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with St. Louis's No. 11-rated defense.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Cardinals got to extra innings, but lost when they got there against Chicago on Thursday; it was a 4-3 final at Wrigley Field in MLB wagering action.
Next Betting Matchups
St. Louis at Chicago, Saturday, August 13th