Cubs vs. Cardinals Prediction
After dropping their season opener on Sunday night will the Cubs rebound with a win over Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals tonight at 8:15PM ET?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Cardinals are +125 money line underdogs tonight against the Cubs, who have odds of -145 to win their first game of the year. With Jake Arrieta set to face Adam Wainwright in the pitching matchup, the over/under for tonight’s game sits at 7.5 runs.
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In his final tune-up of spring training, Arrieta allowed three earned runs over four innings against the Giants last Tuesday. Denard Span led off the game with a solo home runa nd then Jarrett Parker singled home Brandon Crawford, who had doubled off Arrieta. The 31-year-old free-agent-to-be had a so-so spring, but the Cubs are once again expecting big things out of Arrieta.
As for Wainwright, he had a rough March. He pitched five innings while allowing three runs last Tuesday in his final start before the regular season. He really only had one bad inning in that start against the Mets, allowing a three-run home run to Lucas Duda on a 1-2 pitch with two outs in the fourth inning. He posted a 7.78 ERA after putting together his worst year as a pro last season.
Bet Tonight’s Cubs vs. Cardinals Game
OUR PICK: Given Wainwright’s struggles dating back to last year, this is a perfect time to buy the Cubs at a reasonable price. Wainwright had Achilles tendon surgery two years ago and then outside of a good stretch in the middle of the season, he was roughed up plenty in 2016. He seemingly has lost a feel for his once-outstanding curveball and if he can’t locate his slider against a Cubs team that can mash, it’ll be a long night for him and the Cards at Busch Stadium.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: CHICAGO CUBS -145