Sunday, September 20, 2015

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Carlos Martinez (13-7) vs. Jon Lester (10-10)

The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Chicago Cubs on Sunday at Wrigley Field. Carlos Martinez is the probable starter for the Cardinals and he'll face Jon Lester of the Cubs. The opening line for this matchup has St. Louis at +115 and Chicago at -125. The over/under was set at 8. The Cardinals have a 60-77 over/under record and a 74-73 run line mark, meaning they cover 50% of the time. The Cubs are 72-75 against the run line and have a 67-71 over/under record. They cover the spread 49% of the time.

The Cardinals come into this game with a 92-55 record, and they are 42-31 away from home. Carlos Martinez has a 13-7 record on the season, an earned run average of 3.02 and a 1.29 WHIP. The Cardinals are 21-6 over his 172.2 innings pitched and he's also given up 163 hits over that time period. The Cardinals are also 9-13 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates are averaging 4.1 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen's earned run average is currently 2.64 and they've given up 397 hits on the season. The bullpen has struck out 414 and walked 163 batters this season while opposing teams hit .237 against them. St. Louis has a team average of 8.34 hits allowed per game and are averaging 8.11 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 2.90, they are 1st in the league.

St. Louis ranks 14th in the league in team batting average at .253 while hitting .248 on the road. Ranked at 13th in the league in on-base percentage, the Cardinals sit at .321 and they hold a .392 team slugging percentage. With 147 hits, Jason Heyward leads the team while his team ranks 15th in hits per game with 8.62.

With a 86-61 overall record, Chicago will come into this game 44-28 at home. Jon Lester has a record of 10-10 while sporting an earned run average of 3.38 on the year with a 1.16 WHIP. The Cubs have a record of 16-13 over the 184 innings he's pitched during which he's given up 169 hits. The Cubs are also 9-17 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates score an average of 3.6 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen's earned run average is currently at 3.51 and they have given up 427 hits on the season. The Cubs bullpen has struck out 467 batters and walked 170 this season while opposing teams have hit .235 against them. Chicago has a team average of 8.12 hits per game and are averaging 8.72 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 3.52, they are 5th in the league.

They rank 27th in the league in team batting average with a .244 average while hitting .239 at home. Ranked at 14th in the league in on-base percentage, the Cubs sit at .321 and they hold a .402 team slugging percentage. With 149 hits, Anthony Rizzo leads the team while his team ranks 27th in hits per game with 8.31.

The Cardinals have committed 89 errors and have combined for 1,470 assists and 4,004 put outs leading to a .984 team fielding percentage. Over the course of this season, the Cubs have accumulated 99 errors while having 1,523 assists and 3,973 put outs leading to a .982 fielding percentage.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 60-77 against the over/under so far this season

The St. Louis Cardinals are 74-73 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 67-71 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 72-75 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

09/19/15 1B Brandon Moss Rest is not expected to be in the starting lineup Saturday vs. Chicago Cubs
09/19/15 LF Matt Holliday Head is downgraded to not expected to be in the starting lineup Saturday vs. Chicago Cubs
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)
04/28/15 P Adam Wainwright Achilles Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (4/25); out for season

Chicago Cubs

09/19/15 C Miguel Montero Rest is not expected to be in the starting lineup Saturday vs. St. Louis Cardinals
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 Cardinals

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