Monday, October 12, 2015

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Michael Wacha (17-7) vs. Jake Arrieta (23-6)

The Chicago Cubs welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to Wrigley Field on Monday. The probable starters are Michael Wacha for the Cardinals and Jake Arrieta for the Cubs. The opening line for this matchup has St. Louis at +190 and Chicago at -215. The over/under was set at 5.5. The Cardinals have a 67-86 over/under record and a 82-82 run line mark, meaning they cover 50% of the time. The Cubs have a 72-83 over/under record and a 83-82 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 50% of the time.

The Cardinals come into this game with a 101-63 record, and they are 45-36 away from home. Michael Wacha has an earned run average of 3.38 and is 17-7 so far on the season while having a 1.21 WHIP. In his starts, the Cardinals are 21-9 over his 181.1 innings pitched this season while giving up 162 hits during those innings. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 16-13. The team is averaging 5.1 runs when he starts. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.82 and they have given up 442 base hits on the year. Opposing teams are hitting .238 against the Cardinals bullpen while walking 183 times and striking out 466 times. St. Louis is averaging 8.18 strikeouts per game while getting 8.3 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 1st in baseball in team earned run average at 2.91.

St. Louis is batting .252 as a team, which is good for 13th in the league and hitting .244 away from home. The Cardinals hold a .395 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .320 which is good for 14th in baseball. Jason Heyward leads the team in hits with 162 while the team ranks 17th in baseball with 8.52 hits per game.

With a 99-66 overall record, Chicago will come into this game 49-32 at home. Jake Arrieta is starting this game 23-6 for the season with an earned run average of 1.70 and a WHIP of 0.85. In his starts, the Cubs are 26-8 and he has allowed 154 hits over 238 innings pitched this season. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 8-20. The team is averaging 4.2 runs when he takes the field. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.38 and they have given up 450 base hits on the year. Opposing teams are hitting .230 against the Cubs bullpen while walking 183 times and striking out 511 times. Chicago is averaging 8.85 strikeouts per game while getting 7.82 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 3rd in the league in team earned run average at 3.35.

They are batting .243 as a team, which is good for 29th in the league and hitting .237 at home. The Cubs hold a .396 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .320 which is good for 13th in baseball. Anthony Rizzo leads the team in hits with 163 while the team ranks 28th in baseball with 8.22 hits a game.

St. Louis has a team fielding percentage of .984 after having committed 96 errors with 1,617 assists and 4,394 put outs for the season. The Cubs have committed 111 errors on the season with 1,669 assists and 4,384 put outs leading to a team fielding percentage of .982 on the year.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 67-86 against the over/under so far this season

The St. Louis Cardinals are 82-82 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 72-83 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 83-82 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

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)

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)

Josh's Pick: Take the Cubs

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