Thursday, August 11, 2016

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Carlos Martinez vs. Jon Lester

The St. Louis Cardinals visit Wrigley Field on Thursday to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Carlos Martinez for the Cardinals and Jon Lester for the Cubs. The opening line for this matchup has St. Louis at +158 and Chicago at -168. The over/under was set at 8. The Cardinals have a 61-46-6 over/under record and a 53-60-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 47% of the time. The Cubs are 59-52-0 against the run line and have a 51-54-6 over/under record. They cover the spread 53% of the time.

The Cardinals head into this matchup with a 59-54 record, including 32-21 on the road. Starting pitcher Carlos Martinez has a 10-7 record with an earned run average of 3.29 and a WHIP of 1.20. He has 108 strikeouts over his 131.1 innings pitched and he has given up 111 hits so far this season. He has allowed 7.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.86. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.46 and they have given up 278 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .218 against the bullpen while being struck out 325 times and walking 123 times this season. As a team, St. Louis has allowed 8.68 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.65 batters per nine. They are 11th in the league in team earned run average at 4.02. The Cardinals pitchers have collectively given up 977 base hits and 453 earned runs. They have allowed 101 home runs this season and they allow 0.9 homers per nine innings as a staff. St. Louis as a pitching staff has walked 317 batters and struck out 861. They walk 2.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.28 and their FIP as a unit is 3.78.

As a team, St. Louis is batting .256, good for 15th in the league while putting together a .261 average away from home. The Cardinals hold a .441 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .329 which is good for 7th in baseball. They rank 15th in baseball with 8.81 hits per game. Aledmys Diaz comes into this game hitting .312 and his on-base percentage is at .376. He has 110 hits this season along with 64 runs scored and 57 runs batted in. He's struck out 54 times and has walked 34 times. Matt Carpenter is hitting .293 and he has an on-base percentage of .414. He has totaled 88 hits so far while scoring 56 runs and he's driven in 55. He has walked 60 times and has struck out 63 times. The Cardinals have 996 hits, including 218 doubles and 151 home runs. They've stolen 26 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 19 times. St. Louis has walked 388 times this season and they've struck out 886 times as a unit. They've left 799 men on base and have a team OPS of .771. They score 4.96 runs per contest and have scored a total of 561 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this matchup with a 38-17 home record and a 70-41 overall mark. With an earned run average of 2.93, Jon Lester has a 12-4 record and a 1.09 WHIP. He has 133 strikeouts over the 135.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 110 hits. He has allowed 7.3 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.83. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.47 and they have given up 245 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .209 against the Cubs bullpen while being struck out 328 times and walking 131 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 6.96 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.76 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 3.09. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 776 base knocks and 348 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 111 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 334 hitters and struck out 974. They give up a walk 3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.11 while their FIP as a staff is 3.76.

As a team, they are batting .255, good for 16th in the league while putting together a .244 average at home. The Cubs hold a .427 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .345 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 16th in baseball with 8.64 hits per contest. Kris Bryant comes into this matchup batting .284 and he has an OBP of .385. He has 118 hits this year along with 84 runs scored and 70 RBI. He's struck out 114 times and has walked on 56 occasions. Anthony Rizzo is hitting .289 and he has an OBP of .398. He has collected 114 hits so far while he's scored 69 runs and drove in 80. He has earned a walk 60 times and has punched out 78 times. The Cubs as a unit have 959 base hits, including 206 doubles and 136 homers. They have 49 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 27 times. Chicago as a team has walked 462 times this year and they have struck out 947 times. They've had 837 men left on base and have an OPS of .772. They score 5.05 runs per game and have totaled 561 runs so far this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 61-46-6 against the over/under so far this season

The St. Louis Cardinals are 53-60-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 51-54-6 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 59-52-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

08/10/16 P Michael Wacha Shoulder 15-day DL (8/9)
08/03/16 P Tyler Lyons Knee 15-day DL (7/31), likely out for season
08/02/16 SS Aledmys Diaz Thumb 15-day DL (8/1)
07/27/16 P Trevor Rosenthal Rotator Cuff 15-day DL (7/26)
07/07/16 C Brayan Pena Knee 60-day DL (7/7)
05/26/16 P Mitch Harris Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Jordan Walden Abdominal 60-day DL (3/31)
04/04/16 P Lance Lynn Elbow 60-day DL (3/25); out for season

Chicago Cubs

08/10/16 P Jason Hammel Personal expected to start Wednesday vs. Los Angeles Angels
07/16/16 P Trevor Cahill Knee 15-day DL (7/9)
04/08/16 C Kyle Schwarber Knee 60-day DL (4/8); out for season
04/04/16 P Aaron Brooks Hip 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 3B Christian Villanueva Fibula 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Dallas Beeler Shoulder 15-day DL (3/25)
03/31/16 P Zac Rosscup Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)

Guy's Pick: Take the Cardinals

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