Cardinals vs Cubs Picks, Props & Betting Splits

• The Chicago Cubs are -180 home favorites as they open a set vs the St Louis Cardinals
• Chicago has won four of the last five against their NL Central rivals
• Read below for the my Cardinals vs Cubs picks, props, updated odds and betting splits

Trying to chase down the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs open a 3-game set Friday against the St Louis Cardinals.

The Cards are trying to track down a Wild Card berth — with the top spot currently held by the Cubbies. St Louis is three games back of Philadelphia for the third and final spot.

But the books aren’t feeling the road team Friday: Chicago is a steep -180 favorite in the MLB odds, as they’ve won eight of their last 10, as well as four of its last five against St Louis.

First pitch goes at 2:20pm ET today from Wrigley Field, with Apple TV providing the broadcast coverage.

Cardinals vs Cubs Picks

• Over 8.5 runs (+105 at bet365)

The total opened at 7.5 before early action pushed it to 8.5, but the number remains playable because both starters have struggled to prevent runs. St. Louis has gone Over in only 36.4% of its games this season, though that broad trend is less important than the individual pitching matchup and the offensive environments involved.

• Cubs moneyline (63¢ / -170 at Kalshi)

Chicago is 8-2 over its last 10 games and has won 71.4% of its games as a favorite during that span. The Cubs’ .777 home OPS is a significant advantage over St. Louis’ .726 road OPS. The price is expensive, so the moneyline is better suited to parlays or bettors comfortable laying the juice.

STL Cardinals vs CHI Cubs Props

Prediction Markets

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Kalshi

Chicago Moneyline

63%

Predict

Pick: Seiya Suzuki over 1.5 total bases (+110 at bet365): Suzuki has 20 home runs and an .838 OPS this season. The matchup history is poor—he is 2-for-16 against Liberatore—but his overall production and the potential for multiple scoring opportunities make this a reasonable buy-low angle.

Pick: Matthew Liberatore under 4.5 strikeouts (-139 at bet365): Chicago’s disciplined lineup can extend at-bats and force an early exit, while Liberatore’s recent run prevention has been poor.

Cardinals vs Cubs Odds & Betting Splits

The graphic above shows the best available odds, which are subject to change. Be sure to use the BetMGM promo code to bet on Cardinals vs Cubs or any other MLB game. And don’t forget to check out the MLB batter vs pitcher stats before making your prop bets.

The Cubs open as -180 favorites on the moneyline at bet365, while the spread odds are much better at +125 at FanDuel, if they can win by at least two runs.

For St Louis, they start the day as +158 underdogs on the moneyline, with a less enticing -133 on the spread at BetMGM, as the books are giving them 1.5 runs Friday.

Over bettors should head to DraftKings, where the line is set at 8.0 runs, paying out at -107 odds. Under bettors can find run lines at 8.5, with a -118 payout at BetMGM.

Both teams are getting 1.5 runs on the spread, and the juice reflects that. Taking the White Sox at +1.5 on the spread comes with -200 odds, and not much better at +190 for the BoSox.

Reviewing the MLB public betting splits, and there’s plenty of Chicago love. Chicago has 81.3% of moneyline tickets and 86.2% of the money, while 67.2% of runline tickets and 75.5% of the handle support the Cubs -1.5. The Over 8.5 has attracted 79.1% of tickets and 83.0% of the handle.