Two of the fiercest rivals in baseball will begin a doubleheader at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon as the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Chicago Cubs.
The Cardinals cruised to an easy 14-5 triumph over the Cubs on Friday afternoon in the Windy City. Can they build on that in this spot? Find out in our free MLB picks and predictions for Cardinals vs Cubs Game 1 on Saturday, June 4.
Cardinals vs Cubs Game 1 odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Cardinals are -122 moneyline favorites as of this writing at the handful of books that have posted odds thus far. The total is 9.5, and that number has yet to see a lot of action.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until first pitch and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Cardinals vs Cubs Game 1 predictions
Picks made on 6/4/2022 at 8:10 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Cardinals vs Cubs game info
• Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
• Date: Saturday, June 4, 2022
• First pitch: 1:20 p.m. ET
• TV: MARQ, Bally Sports
Cardinals vs Cubs Game 1 betting preview
Starting pitchers
TBD: Cardinals haven't named a starter as of writing.
Matt Swarmer (0-0, 1.50 ERA): Swarmer allowed four runs to cross the plate in his MLB debut against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 30, but only one of them was earned. He allowed five hits and walked only one batter while striking out six in six innings of work. The Cubs will be hoping for a similar performance to help preserve their bullpen during Saturday’s twin-bill.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Cardinals: Dylan Carlson RF (Out), Jack Flaherty SP (Out), Steven Matz SP (Out), Alex Reyes RP (Out), Jordan Hicks RP (Out), Tyler O’Neill LF (Out).
Cubs: Seiya Suzuki LF (Out), Wade Miley SP (Out), Michael Hermosillo CF (Out), Yan Gomes C (Out), Sean Newcomb RP (Out), Ethan Roberts SP (Out), Jonathan Villar SS (Out), Drew Smyly SP (Out), Willson Contreras C (Questionable).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 11-3-1 in the Cubs’ last 15 home games against teams with winning records. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Cubs
Cardinals vs Cubs Game 1 picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
Matt Swarmer could prove to be the difference-maker in the Cubs’ Saturday afternoon clash with the Cardinals.
Swarmer went 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 0.949 WHIP over 39 1-3 innings in Triple-A Iowa this year before authoring a quality start in his MLB debut against Milwaukee on Memorial Day. He didn’t let nerves get to him in that outing, and he has the advantage against a St. Louis lineup that has no idea what the ball looks like coming out of his hand.
The Cardinals have yet to announce a starter for Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader, but bettors can safely assume that their bullpen arms will get some extra work in this one.
Redbirds manager Oliver Marmol will have his hands full trying to safely get to the daunting troika of Genesis Cabrera, Ryan Helsley, and Giovanny Gallegos at the end of this tilt. If you take away their collective efforts this year, the Cardinals’ relief corps owns a mediocre 4.41 ERA.
Look for Ian Happ to get things going on offense for Chicago. He’s batting .309 at Wrigley Field this year and has four hits in his last 10 at-bats.
Prediction: Cubs moneyline (+105 at Unibet)
Over/Under analysis
Even if Swarmer is able to pitch effectively into the fifth or sixth inning for the Cubs, the Cardinals are unlikely to be kept off the board forever. That in turn should help Over bettors cash on Saturday afternoon.
Chicago’s bullpen sports a 3.80 ERA on the season, a modest 15th in the majors. This unit has been springing leaks left and right of late. Scott Effross has given up at least one earned run in three of his last six appearances, and the same can be said for Rowan Wick. Mychal Givens was tagged for two runs in his first appearance of this series.
Paul Goldschmidt – riding a 25-game hitting streak going into this one — should help St. Louis generate some offense. “Goldy” has raised his average to .349 — third in baseball — and is currently pacing the Cardinals in homers (12) and RBI (47).
Not to be outdone is Harrison Bader, who has 16 hits in his last 48 at-bats (.333 average) for the Redbirds, with a pair of dingers. Nolan Arenado is getting hot again too, amassing six hits in his last 12 at-bats, with a homer and four RBI.
The Cardinals have gone 7-2-1 to the Over in their last 10 games against right-handed starters, and the Over is 5-1-1 in their last seven road games. The Over is 7-2 in the Cubs’ last nine home games.
Prediction: Over 9.5 (+102 at BetRivers)
Best bet
The pieces are in place for the Over to cash in Game 1 of the Cardinals/Cubs doubleheader, but the play would be even stronger if Willson Contreras is able to suit up for Chicago.
The Cubs catcher left Thursday’s game against St. Louis with an ankle injury suffered on a hit-by-pitch. He was scheduled for an off-day on Friday and indeed stayed in the dugout, but is expected to return on Saturday.
Contreras has three multiple-hit games in his last four contests, hitting three taters and driving in six runs in that span.
Pick: Over 9.5 (+102 at BetRivers)
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