Chicago Cubs (47-33) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (44-37)
June 26, 2025 2:15 pm EDT
The Line: St. Louis Cardinals 118 / Chicago Cubs -143; Over/Under: 9
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In this article, we will formulate a Cardinals vs Cubs prediction for this MLB game on Thursday, June 26, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
The Chicago Cubs (47-33, 22-18 Away) came to St. Louis after losing the series to the Seattle Mariners, and although they will not win the current one against the Cardinals, the hope for getting a split is still alive following last night’s 8-0 win. The Cubs fell in the opening two games of the series, but were excellent on Wednesday. Ian Happ led the offense with three RBI, while Matthew Boyd got the win after allowing no runs on three hits with three strikeouts and no walks across 6.0 innings of work.
This season, the Cubs average 5.42 runs per game (2nd in the MLB) on a .255/.325/.445 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Cubs’ staff has a 3.90 ERA (16th) and 1.25 WHIP (14th). Seiya Suzuki leads the Cubs with a .258 batting average, 21 home runs, and 67 RBI this season.
Shota Imanaga will take the mound for the Cubs on Thursday. The 31-year-old left-hander has a 3-2 record in eight starts this year with a 2.82 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 44.2 innings.
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
The St. Louis Cardinals (44-37, 26-16 Home) swept the Chicago White Sox and beat the Cincinnati Reds before winning the first two games of the current series against the Chicago Cubs. The Cards have a split in their pocket, but will want to bounce back from last night’s 8-0 defeat and win the series. Erick Fedde took the loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 3.2 innings.
This year, the Cardinals average 4.72 runs per game (7th in the MLB) on a .255/.326/.396 triple-slash. When it comes to pitching, the Cardinals’ staff has a 3.99 ERA (19th) and 1.27 WHIP (15th). Willson Contreras leads the Cardinals with a .246 batting average, ten home runs, and 50 RBI this season.
The projected starting pitcher for the Cardinals is Andre Pallante, who is 5-3 in 15 starts this season, with a 4.48 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 82.1 innings.
Total Runs Facts
- Five of the Cubs’ last six road games against NL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Eight of the last 10 games between the Cubs and Cardinals have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in nine of the Cubs’ last 10 day games.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in seven of the Cardinals’ last eight Thursday day games against NL Central opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Cardinals rank 3rd in the league for walks allowed this season (219).
- The Cardinals rank 3rd in the league for home runs allowed this season (69).
- The Cubs rank 2nd in the league for RBIs this season (426).
- The Cubs rank T3rd in the league for home runs this season (118).
Cardinals vs Cubs Prediction
The teams have traded victories in the past couple of years, each recording five in the previous ten H2H encounters. These are the Over-friendly teams for bettors, and eight of the last ten H2H duels went Over. Also, seven of St. Louis’ previous ten games went Over. Even though Shoota Imanaga starts for the Cubs, I am going with another Over, as he will surely feel a bit of rustiness after coming from the IL. Imanaga hasn’t pitched for nearly two months, and I am backing the Cards to score multiple runs off of him early on. Andre Pallante, on the other hand, allowed multiple runs in 11 of his previous 12 starts, and he is facing the second-best offense in the MLB, so the Cubs shouldn’t have problems scoring here.
