Friday, October 9, 2015

Busch Stadium

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Jon Lester (11-12) vs. John Lackey (13-10)

The Chicago Cubs visit Busch Stadium on Friday to play the St. Louis Cardinals in game 1 of the NLDS. The probable starters are Jon Lester for the Cubs and John Lackey for the Cardinals. The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -110 and St. Louis at -105. The over/under was set at 7. The Cubs, with a 82-81 run line record, cover the spread 50% of the time. They also have a 71-82 over/under record. The Cardinals are 81-81 against the run line and have a 66-85 over/under record. They cover the spread 50% of the time.

The Cubs head into this matchup with a 98-65 record, including 49-33 on the road. Jon Lester has an earned run average of 3.34 and is 11-12 so far on the season while having a 1.12 WHIP. He's pitched 205 innings thus far while surrendering 183 hits over that time and when he starts, the Cubs are 17-15. The Cubs are also 10-19 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates are averaging 3.7 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 450 hits on the season and have an earned run average of 3.38. The bullpen has struck out 511 and walked 183 batters this season while opposing teams hit .230 against them. Chicago has a team average of 7.83 hits allowed per game and are averaging 8.83 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 3.34, they are 3rd in the league.

Chicago ranks 29th in the league in team batting average at .244 while hitting .251 on the road. The Cubs on-base percentage sits at .321, which puts them at 12th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .398. With 163 hits, Anthony Rizzo leads the team while his team ranks 28th in hits per game with 8.27.

With a 55-26 home record, St. Louis will hope to improve on their 100-62 overall mark. John Lackey is starting this game 13-10 for the season with an earned run average of 2.77 and a WHIP of 1.21. He's pitched 218 innings thus far while surrendering 211 hits over that time in which the Cardinals are 17-16. The Cardinals are also 15-17 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates score an average of 3.8 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 442 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 2.82. The Cardinals bullpen has struck out 466 batters and walked 183 this season while opposing teams have hit .238 against them. St. Louis has a team average of 8.35 hits per game and are averaging 8.17 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 2.94, they are 1st in the league.

They rank 12th in the league in team batting average with a .253 average while hitting .262 at home. The Cardinals on-base percentage sits at .321, which puts them at 13th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .394. With 160 hits, Jason Heyward leads the team while his team ranks 14th in hits per game with 8.56.

In terms of team defense, the Cubs have a fielding percentage of .982 with 111 total errors, 1,669 assists and 4,384 put outs. Over the course of this season, the Cardinals have accumulated 96 errors while having 1,617 assists and 4,394 put outs leading to a .984 fielding percentage.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 71-82 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 82-81 against the run line so far this season

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 66-85 against the over/under so far this season

The St. Louis Cardinals are 81-81 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago Cubs

08/25/15 P Jason Motte Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/24)
07/29/15 P Neil Ramirez Abdominal Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/29)
04/06/15 P Jacob Turner Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)

St. Louis Cardinals

10/08/15 C Yadier Molina Thumb is upgraded to probable Friday vs. Chicago Cubs
09/26/15 P Carlos Martinez Shoulder out for season
09/12/15 C Cody Stanley Suspension expected to miss 80 games
05/03/15 P Jordan Walden Bicep Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/30)

Guy's Pick: Take the Cardinals

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn