Cubs vs Cardinals Prediction 5/31/26 MLB Picks Today

In this article, we will formulate a Cubs vs Cardinals Prediction for this MLB matchup on Sunday, May 31^st in the third game of this series. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.

St. Louis Cardinals Preview

The St. Louis Cardinals have a 30-26 record this season and are sitting in the 3rd place of the NL Central. They have a 14-14 home record and are coming off a 1-6 home defeat against the Cubs. They will face the Rangers and the Reds next.

The Cardinals have a .238 batting average this season, .317 OBP and .384 Slugging percentage. St. Louis’ pitching staff has a 4.21 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Jordan Walker is the team’s best hitter with a .290 batting average, also leading the team in RBI with 42 and adding a team-high 15 home runs.

Matthew Liberatore (L) is the projected starting pitcher for the Cardinals, and he has a 2-3 record, 4.76 ERA and 1.57 WHIP.

Chicago Cubs Preview

The Chicago Cubs have a 32-27 record this season and are sitting in the 2nd place of the NL Central. They have a 14-16 road record and are coming off a 6-1 road win against the Cardinals. They will face the Athletics and the Giants next.

The Cubs have a .240 batting average this season, .337 OBP and .389 Slugging percentage. Chicago’s pitching staff has a 4.17 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. Alex Bregman is the team’s best hitter with a .260 batting average. Michael Busch leads the team in RBI with 35, while Ian Happ adds a team-high 13 home runs.

Jordan Wicks (L) is the projected starting pitcher for the Cubs, and he has a 0-1 record, 16.62 ERA and 2.31 WHIP.

The Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends: May 31, 2026

• Probable Starting Pitcher: Matthew Liberatore      Record this season: 2-3      ERA: 4.76
• Home Record: 1-1
• Last 5 against Cubs: 1-0

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win

• The Cubs have lost eight of their last nine games as favorites.
• The Cardinals have won seven of their last eight games as underdogs against NL Central opponents following a home loss.
• The Cardinals have covered the run line in nine of their last 10 night games following a loss.
• The Cubs have failed to cover the run line in eight of their last nine games as favorites.
• The Cubs have trailed after 5 innings in six of their last eight games as favorites.

• Probable Starting Pitcher: Jordan Wicks      Record this season: 0-1      ERA: 16.62
• Road Record: 0-1
• Last 5 against Cardinals: 0-0

Why the Chicago Cubs will win

• The Cardinals have lost each of their last six games after playing the previous day.
• The Cubs have won 18 of their last 20 games against National League opponents following a win.
• The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four home games after playing the previous day.
• The Cubs have covered the run line in four of their last five games against the Cardinals.
• The Cubs have led after 3 innings in five of their last six games at Busch Stadium against opponents that held a winning record.

Total Runs Facts

• Twelve of the Cardinals’ last 14 games after playing the previous day have gone UNDER the total runs line.
• Four of the Cubs’ last five games have gone OVER the total runs line.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in eight of the Cardinals’ last nine night games against NL Central opponents.
• The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in six of the Cubs’ last seven games as favorites against National League opponents.

St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts

• Lars Nootbaar has hit a home run in two of his last three home appearances against the Cubs.
• Lars Nootbaar has recorded at least one hit in each of his last seven appearances in night games against teams that held a winning record.
• Jordan Walker ranks 6th amongst qualified players for Slugging Percentage (.557) this season.

Chicago Cubs Player Prop Facts

• Ian Happ has hit a home run in three of the Cubs’ last four games.
• Seiya Suzuki has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cubs’ last 11 games against the Cardinals.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Cardinals rank 27th in the league for strikeouts this season (429).
• The Cardinals rank 27th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.256).
• The Cubs rank 1st in the league for walks this season (265).
• The Cubs rank 2nd in the league for on-base percentage this season (.337).

Cubs vs Cardinals Prediction

The Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 meetings against the Cardinals but both teams are tied 2-2 in their last 4 meetings in Saint Louis.

In this Cubs vs Cardinals Prediction, the Cubs are coming as -115 road favorites. I don’t trust either pitcher in this matchup, as Wicks was shelled in his first start of the season with 8 earned runs, while Liberatore has 11 earned runs across his last three starts and has been weaker at home. Chicago’s offense has come back to life lately, as they have scored 28 total runs in their last four games and I expect them to get to Liberatore. Take the over 9 in this one.