Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction, 7/28/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals

Date: Friday, July 28, 2023

Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO

TV: Bally Sports Midwest

The St. Louis Cardinals (46-57) will take on the Chicago Cubs (50-51) at Busch Stadium on Friday. The pitchers taking the mound will be Drew Smyly and Jordan Montgomery.

As a squad, the Chicago Cubs are putting up 4.9 runs per game, which ranks them 8th in baseball. They have accounted for 496 runs while holding a team OBP of .331. The Cubs have hit 152 doubles as a team and have smacked 115 balls out of the park. They have 479 runs batted in and 868 base knocks for the season, while their team batting average is .253. Chicago is slugging .408 and have been called out on strikes 924 times, while being walked on 365 occasions.

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The Cubs hold a team earned run average of 4.13 on the year (14th in baseball), and the staff has struck out 832 batters. Cubs pitchers have conceded 107 home runs in addition to 448 total runs (13th in baseball). They have walked 315 opposing players and their FIP sits at 4.16 as a team on the campaign. Chicago has yielded 823 hits (8.3 per 9 innings) and 410 earned runs. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.64 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.27.

Cubs pitchers have stepped onto the hill with players on base 81 times in addition to having 76 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have 47 holds so far this year (21st in the league). The Cubs relief pitchers have a save percentage of 65.4% and has come into the game in 74 save situations. They have recorded 17 saves on the year and have blown 9 out of their 26 chances to get a save. The relievers have inherited 134 runners this year with 29.1% of those players ended up scoring. The Cubs have dispatched 309 relief pitchers to the mound for the season.

The Cubs have transformed 69.7% of baseballs in play into outs in their 8,046 innings on the field, which has them ranked 10th in baseball. The Chicago Cubs have a total of 2,682 putouts so far this season, as well as 926 assists and 54 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .985 which ranks 18th in professional baseball, and they have turned 90 double plays.

Smyly has taken the ball for 1,047 frames and has totaled 1,013 punch outs in his career. His earned run average is 4.15 (483 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.278. He has conceded 1,010 base hits (8.7 hits per nine innings) and has 328 walks. Smyly (60-54 win-loss record in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.34 while he has gone up against 4,420 batters in the major leagues.

The Cardinals have a team slugging % of .432 and they tally 4.80 runs per game (11th in the league). They have hit 173 doubles, while getting a free base 360 times and scoring 494 runs. St. Louis has tallied 142 home runs on the year as well as 476 runs batted in. They have struck out on 865 occasions (18th in baseball) and have recorded 910 base hits. The St. Louis Cardinals have accounted for a team OBP of .333 in addition to a batting average of .258 over the course of the season.

The Cardinals have a team WHIP of 1.461 with a FIP of 4.17 as a pitching staff on the season. They are currently ranked 30th in the league as a staff in total hits conceded with 977. The St. Louis pitching staff have conceded 512 runs on the campaign while having a team ERA of 4.57 (461 earned runs yielded). Their strikeout to walk ratio is 8.20 (827 strikeouts against 348 walks). They have allowed 99 dingers and they allow 5.08 runs per 9 innings (26th in baseball).

Sitting with 102 save situations, the Cardinals have 54 holds in addition to 24 blown saves. St. Louis has called on relief pitchers to step onto the hill in 48 save opportunities and they have recorded 24 saves. Their relievers have come in 124 times in high leverage situations and also on 118 occasions with runners on. St. Louis bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 30.3% of 195 inherited base runners. They rank 28th in MLB holding a save percentage of 50.0%, and they have sent 313 relievers to the hill on the year.

In their 8,166 innings on the diamond, the Cardinals are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 66.3% (30th in professional baseball). The St. Louis Cardinals have turned 88 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .989 (5th in pro baseball). The Cardinals have accrued 970 assists, 42 errors and are sitting with 2,722 putouts so far this season.

So far in his MLB career, Montgomery has surrendered 640 hits while he has totaled 644 punch outs in 681 innings. He has given up 285 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.218 and a FIP of 3.8. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.39 and he has faced 2,846 batters during his career. Montgomery (34-31 career mark) holds a 3.76 ERA and has surrendered 8.5 hits per nine innings.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take St. Louis

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