Sunday, August 14, 2016

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Mike Leake vs. John Lackey

The St. Louis Cardinals visit Wrigley Field on Sunday to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Mike Leake for the Cardinals and John Lackey for the Cubs. The opening line for this matchup has St. Louis at +183 and Chicago at -194. The over/under was set at 8. The Cardinals have a 62-48-6 over/under record and a 54-62-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 47% of the time. The Cubs are 61-53-0 against the run line and have a 52-56-6 over/under record. They cover the spread 54% of the time.

The Cardinals head into this matchup with a 60-56 record, including 32-23 on the road. Starting pitcher Mike Leake has a 8-9 record with an earned run average of 4.79 and a WHIP of 1.28. He has 96 strikeouts over his 139 innings pitched and he has given up 156 hits so far this season. He has allowed 10.1 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.04. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.53 and they have given up 290 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .220 against the bullpen while being struck out 337 times and walking 127 times this season. As a team, St. Louis has allowed 8.71 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.63 batters per nine. They are 12th in the league in team earned run average at 4.08. The Cardinals pitchers have collectively given up 1,008 base hits and 472 earned runs. They have allowed 107 home runs this season and they allow 0.9 homers per nine innings as a staff. St. Louis as a pitching staff has walked 328 batters and struck out 883. 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 3.84.

As a team, St. Louis is batting .255, good for 16th in the league while putting together a .259 average away from home. The Cardinals hold a .442 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .328 which is good for 6th in baseball. They rank 14th in baseball with 8.79 hits per game. Stephen Piscotty comes into this game hitting .276 and his on-base percentage is at .343. He has 116 hits this season along with 63 runs scored and 62 runs batted in. He's struck out 87 times and has walked 37 times. Aledmys Diaz is hitting .312 and he has an on-base percentage of .376. He has totaled 110 hits so far while scoring 64 runs and he's driven in 57. He has walked 34 times and has struck out 54 times. The Cardinals have 1,021 hits, including 224 doubles and 157 home runs. They've stolen 26 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 19 times. St. Louis has walked 398 times this season and they've struck out 914 times as a unit. They've left 826 men on base and have a team OPS of .771. They score 4.91 runs per contest and have scored a total of 569 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this matchup with a 41-17 home record and a 73-41 overall mark. With an earned run average of 3.56, John Lackey has a 9-7 record and a 1.06 WHIP. He has 151 strikeouts over the 151.2 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 118 hits. He has allowed 7 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.76. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.44 and they have given up 254 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .210 against the Cubs bullpen while being struck out 340 times and walking 135 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 6.96 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.78 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 3.06. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 798 base knocks and 354 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 115 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 343 hitters and struck out 1,004. 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 3.77.

As a team, they are batting .256, good for 15th in the league while putting together a .246 average at home. The Cubs hold a .430 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .346 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 16th in baseball with 8.69 hits per contest. Anthony Rizzo comes into this matchup batting .287 and he has an OBP of .396. He has 117 hits this year along with 70 runs scored and 82 RBI. He's struck out 78 times and has walked on 62 occasions. Kris Bryant is hitting .288 and he has an OBP of .385. He has collected 124 hits so far while he's scored 88 runs and drove in 72. He has earned a walk 56 times and has punched out 119 times. The Cubs as a unit have 991 base hits, including 214 doubles and 142 homers. They have 49 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 27 times. Chicago as a team has walked 473 times this year and they have struck out 970 times. They've had 862 men left on base and have an OPS of .776. They score 5.1 runs per game and have totaled 581 runs so far this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends

The St. Louis Cardinals are 62-48-6 against the over/under so far this season

The St. Louis Cardinals are 54-62-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 52-56-6 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 61-53-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

St. Louis Cardinals

08/12/16 LF Matt Holliday Thumb 15-day DL (8/12)
08/11/16 1B Matt Adams Shoulder 15-day DL (8/10)
08/10/16 P Michael Wacha Shoulder 15-day DL (8/9)
08/03/16 P Tyler Lyons Knee 60-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

08/12/16 P Pedro Strop Knee expected to miss 4-6 weeks
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)

Josh's Pick: Take the Cardinals

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