Chi. Cubs Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Predictions August 3rd 2024

St. Louis and Chicago face off in an NL Central matchup at 2:20 PM ET at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. The Cardinals are 56-54 and their money line odds are at -102, while the Cubs are 54-58 and have won three straight. Chicago is the slight favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -117.

BSMW will be televising Saturday’s game, and the over/under line is currently at 8 runs. Kyle Gibson will start for the Cardinals, and the Cubs are starting Jameson Taillon.

St. Louis vs. Chicago Key Information

St. Louis is sending right-hander Kyle Gibson to the mound today vs. the Cubs. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 7-4 with an ERA of 3.97. Gibson’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.34. In his last outing, he took the loss, going five innings and giving up two earned runs vs. the Nationals. Before that, he had pitched well, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up just one earned run vs. the Braves. Gibson has made nine quality starts this year and is averaging 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

St. Louis is hoping that Masyn Winn can keep up his recent hot streak, as he has gone 7/23 in his last five games, including two homers. For the season, Winn is batting .283 and is 7th on the team with eight homers. Alec Burleson has been the Cardinals’ top power threat this season, as his 18 homers is 2nd on the team and 15th in the league. He also leads the team with 63 RBIs.

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As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.4 runs per contest. So far, the Cardinals are batting .246, which is 9th in the league.

Right-hander Jameson Taillon gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Cardinals at home. He has made 18 starts this season and has a record of 7-6 with a 3.35 ERA. Taillon’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.17. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won three straight starts. Taillon has a total of 10 quality starts this season and is averaging 7.05 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has allowed 14 home runs.

Chicago’s offense is averaging just 4.2 runs per game this season, which is 22nd in the league. They have been a little better on the road compared to at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting just .234, and their collective on-base percentage of .310 is also below the league average. The Cubs are 5th in the league in walks, but they are also in the bottom half of the league in slugging percentage and OPS.

Seiya Suzuki has been hot of late for the Cubs, going 14/35 (.400) in his last nine games with three homers and eight runs scored. Suzuki is 2nd on the team with 16 homers and is 3rd in RBIs. Ian Happ is the team’s top power threat, with 17 homers, but is hitting just .230 for the season.

For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, as this is projected to be the 10th highest-scoring game of today’s league slate. As for a straight-up pick, we are leaning toward the Cardinals to come out on top. Looking at today’s starters, we have Jameson Taillon as the better strikeout option over Kyle Gibson for the Cardinals.

Jameson Taillon, Cubs Go for Series Win vs. Cardinals

In the wake of keeping his place with the Chicago Cubs at the exchange cutoff time, starting pitcher Jameson Taillon means to assist the franchise with pushing ahead. His quest proceeds with Saturday as the Cubs host the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of a four-game set at Wrigley Field. Chicago followed up its 5-4 win in Thursday night’s opener with a 6-3 triumph on Friday evening.

Taillon’s Determination and Recent Performance

Taillon (7-6, 3.35 ERA) appreciates the Cubs’ recent roster moves and the makeup of the team.

“I know we say it a lot around here, but I do feel like we have a good group as is right now, and then we went out and made this team better, I think,” Taillon said. “It’s for the years to come, too. So that’s exciting. And I know there’s some good free-agent classes coming up and stuff like that. If it doesn’t work out this year, I think we’re in a good spot to be good next year.”

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“I love being in Chicago,” he added. “I love all the guys here. I don’t feel like I have to go shout it from the rooftops. Chicago’s a great place to play. Wrigley’s the best. The fans are the best. Hopefully, it works out.”

Taillon was the subject of exchange hypothesis in front of Tuesday’s exchange cutoff time, which might have added to his struggles in his most late start at the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. He permitted six sudden spikes in demand for six hits, including two homers, more than 4 1/3 innings in Chicago’s 7-1 misfortune.

“His name has been mentioned, so you can link it,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “And you’re going to think about it. When you see your name, you’re going to think about it. That’s real, for sure.”

Prior to Monday’s outing, Taillon had allowed three earned runs or fewer in 16 of 17 starts. Taillon is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in three starts this season against the Cardinals. The 32-year-old right-hander is 6-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 15 starts against St. Louis over his eight-year career.

Cardinals’ Offensive Struggles

The Cardinals, who have lost six of their last nine games, will try to reignite their offense after going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine men on base on Friday.

Gibson’s Challenge

They will start right-hander Kyle Gibson (7-4, 3.97 ERA), whose outing last Saturday against the Washington Nationals was upset by a two-hour downpour postpone before the first pitch. Gibson held the Nationals to two sudden spikes in demand for six hits north of five innings. He strolled three without striking out a hitter and ultimately assumed the misfortune in St. Louis’ 14-3 loss.

“I never play long-toss 2 1/2 hours before the game, but that’s essentially what I did (Saturday),” Gibson said. “Let’s play long-toss two and a half hours before, then sit for two hours and then go again.”

“None of it is an excuse, because you have to go out there and pitch. But that is why on days like this you don’t feel yourself. I could tell from warming up. Tighter. Didn’t loosen up quite as well. That’s why you see some heaters at 86 and cutters that probably marked as sliders and fastballs marked as changeups.”

Gibson, 36, is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two starts against the Cubs this season. The 12th-year pro has faced Chicago six times in his career, going 1-4 with a 5.46 ERA.

Game Outlook

As the Cubs aim for a series win, they will look to build on their recent victories and capitalize on their momentum. Jameson Taillon, eager to prove his worth post-trade deadline, will need to bring his best against a struggling Cardinals offense. Meanwhile, Kyle Gibson will strive to overcome his recent challenges and provide a strong start for St. Louis. This matchup promises to be a competitive and intriguing battle as these NL Central rivals face off.