The Chicago Cubs easily handled the St. Louis Cardinals in the first London game between these teams, winning by an eight-run margin. Both teams combined for a whopping 20 hits. Although London Stadium remains quite friendly for hitters, it’s not quite as friendly as it was in 2019, so let’s dive into the Cubs-Cardinals odds for London as we make our predictions and pick the best MLB bet!
Readers looking for all the best MLB bets, picks and predictions throughout the season should check out OddsShopper’s articles and market-based models, including our Parlay Builder!
Best MLB Cubs-Cardinals Betting Pick & Prediction: London Forecast Calls for Runs
Cubs-Cardinals Odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Cubs: -140 | Cardinals: +110
Over 12.5: +100 | Under 12.5: -120
Let’s start by recapping our discussion of London Stadium from Saturday’s column. The ballpark isn’t quite as hitter-friendly as the one that produced 50 runs in two games in 2019. There are still 330 feet to the foul poles, but now 392 feet, up from 385, to center field. The power alleys now measure 387 feet, up from 382. That said, it’s still worth noting that no MLB stadiums measure shorter than 392 feet to center. Although the Cardinals and Cubs combined for only 10 runs in the first game of this series, there were three home runs hit in that contest.
The Cubs were favored for the first game, and they’re bigger favorites for the second. They’ll trot out RHP Marcus Stroman (9-4), whose 2.28 ERA is elite but isn’t sustainable relative to his 3.67 xERA. The Cardinals will start LHP Matthew Liberatore (1-2), whose 6.12 ERA and .761 xERA make him one of the worst starters in the majors. He ranks 370th of 375 eligible pitchers in the latter metric. Look for Chicago’s batters to tee off again on Sunday morning.
Although the Cubs have a leg up on the mound, their offense is considerably worse when compared to the Cardinals’. Although St. Louis sits at 31-45 and fifth in the NL Central, the offense ranks third in expected weighted on-base average, or xwOBA, at .339. The Cardinals trail only the Braves and Dodgers in the metric. Meanwhile, the Cubs rank a pedestrian 15th in the metric at .324. Although Stroman is a tough pitcher to face, the Cardinals’ offense at least sees its OPS improve from .738 against LHPs to .752 against RHPs.
The books have cut the total by a run. It closed at 13.5 for Game 1, only for these teams to combine for just 10. I’m interested in getting some action on the over. Although the Cardinals couldn’t plate any runs, they still racked up six hits and three walks. The Cubs proved that this ballpark was still quite friendly for hitters. Even with Stroman on the mound, expect plenty of runs to cross the plate in the second game of this series. Let’s buy the over 12.5 at +100 (50%) via DraftKings Sportsbook. New to DraftKings? Users who register via this link can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets instantly — check out the special offers widget above for more details and disclaimers.
Best Cubs-Cardinals MLB London Pick: Over 12.5 +100 at DraftKings
