Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction, 9/3/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals

Date: Saturday, September 3, 2022

Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO

TV: Bally Sports Midwest

Odds/Point Spread: Chicago (+160) St. Louis (-190)

The Chicago Cubs (56-75) are traveling to Busch Stadium on Saturday where they will play the St. Louis Cardinals (76-55). The line on this matchup has the Cubs at +160 while the Cardinals are at -190. The over/under is set at 7.5. The expected starting pitchers will be Drew Smyly and Adam Wainwright.

The Cubs have earned 219 doubles as a unit and have hit 134 balls out of the park. Chicago has a slugging % of .391 and have been called out on strikes 1,157 times, while taking a walk on 410 occasions. As a unit, the Chicago Cubs are putting up 4.2 runs per game, which is 23rd in MLB. They have 512 runs batted in in addition to 1,068 hits on the campaign, and their team batting average is .241. They have notched a total of 543 runs and have an OBP of .312.

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Cubs pitchers have given up 174 home runs and 630 runs (24th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 440 players from the other team and their FIP is 4.42 as a squad for the season. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.55 and their pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.34. The Cubs are sitting with a team earned run average of 4.28 on the year (23rd in baseball), and their staff has struck out 1,121 hitters.

The Cubs relievers have earned a save percentage of 54.2% and has come into the game in 110 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 186 base runners on the campaign and 30.1% of those runners ended up crossing the plate. Cubs bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with players on base 139 times in addition to having 159 appearances in high leverage situations. The Cubs have dispatched 441 relievers to the hill so far this season. The bullpen have tallied 47 holds on the year (29th in the league). They have accumulated 32 saves so far this season and have blown 27 of their 59 save opportunities.

The Chicago Cubs have 3,515 putouts so far this season, as well as 1,189 assists and 80 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .983 which is 25th in pro baseball, and they have twisted 115 double plays. The Cubs have converted 69.0% of balls in play into outs out of 10,545 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 21st in the majors.

Smyly has taken the ball for 926 frames and is sitting with 904 K's in his pro baseball career. Smyly (51-46 career mark) holds a FIP of 4.27 while going up against 3,894 batters in the majors. His earned run average is 4.09 (421 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.268. He has given up 889 base hits (8.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 286 walks.

The Cardinals hold a slugging % of .429 and they are scoring 4.92 runs per game (4th in MLB). They have recorded 230 doubles, while walking 432 times and scoring 644 runs. St. Louis is sitting with 164 home runs so far this season to go along with 618 runs batted in. They have struck out on 1,010 instances (25th in baseball) and have earned 1,154 hits. The St. Louis Cardinals have compiled an on-base percentage of .330 and a team batting average of .258 so far this year.

The Cardinals have a team WHIP of 1.256 with a FIP of 3.98 as a team this season. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 2.45 (954 strikeouts against 390 bases on balls). They come in at 15th in the league as a staff in total hits given up with 1,068. They have conceded 122 HR's and they allow 4.03 runs per 9 innings (8th in the league). The St. Louis pitching staff have conceded 520 runs this season and come in with a team ERA of 3.81 (492 earned runs surrendered).

St. Louis relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 34.5% out of 200 inherited runners. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 108 times in high leverage situations and also on 132 occasions with runners on. With 100 save situations, the Cardinals have tallied 55 holds in addition to 16 blown saves. They rank 15th in the league with a save rate of 64.4%, and they have sent 370 bullpen pitchers onto the diamond so far this year. St. Louis has had bullpen pitchers take the mound in 45 save chances and they have tallied 29 saves.

The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten 143 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .989 (2nd in baseball). The Cardinals have recorded 1,389 assists, 56 errors and have earned a total of 3,485 putouts so far this season. In 10,455 innings on the diamond, the Cardinals have earned a defensive efficiency of 70.5% (8th in professional baseball).

So far in his pro baseball career, Wainwright has surrendered 2,382 base knocks while he has totaled 2,134 strikeouts in 2,538 frames. He has surrendered a total of 941 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.208 and a FIP of 3.4. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.12 and he has gone up against 10,494 hitters in his career. Wainwright (193-114 career win-loss mark) holds a 3.34 ERA and has conceded 8.4 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take St. Louis (-190)

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