Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Odds, Line, Picks, and Prediction - June 5th | 2022 MLB Season

On Sunday night, the Chicago Cubs will host the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field in the final game of their five-game series. This 31-23 St. Louis club sits 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central division, while the 23-31 Cubs are in fourth place in the division.

The Cardinals will go with Adam Wainwright, who has a 5-4 record and 2.75 ERA. Wainwright is still reliable at age 40, and even though he doesn't rack up a lot of Ks (7.32 K/9), he limits hard contact well to the tune of a 4.6% barrel rate. His 3.76 xERA and 3.92 xFIP, however, suggest that some regression may be on the way. In terms of consistency, his last seven starts haven't seen him allow more than three runs, He struck out 10 and allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings last time out against the San Diego Padres. In three of his last five starts, he has gone at least seven innings. Wainwright will give his team a good chance of winning if his lineup can provide the run support that has been lacking in his previous two appearances.

"Adam Wainwright ERA by season since turning 35 years old..." - @ Danny Vietti

The St. Louis lineup will face Justin Steele, who has had unimpressive numbers this season. He has a 5.40 ERA and 1.58 WHIP with a 1-5 record. He enters this start having allowed 10n earned runs in his last seven innings pitched across two starts. St. Louis ranks first in wRC+ and wOBA against left-handed pitching. Steele's expected stats tell an encouraging story, with a 3.48 xERA, 3.22 FIP, and a 3.82 xFIP indicating that he's been unlucky. While he strikes out hitters at a high 25.3% rate, he must improve upon his 12.6% walk rate. On average, he gives up over five free passes per nine innings, which limits the length of his outings. He has an impressive 1.1% barrel rate, which is the highest of all pitchers that qualify, so we'll see if he can reverse some of his recent disappointing results on Sunday.

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Match Details

Fixture: St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago Cubs

Date & Time: Sunday, June 5, 7:08 p.m. EDT

Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Betting Odds

Team	Money Line	Spread	Over/Under
St. Louis Cardinals	-135	+1.5 (-140)	Over 9 (+105)
Chicago Cubs	+115	-1.5 (+120)	Under 9 (-125)

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Best Picks

The lefty Justin Steele has recorded 27 strikeouts in his last four starts in 18 innings. In all of his starts where he's gone five or more frames, he's picked up five or more Ks.

"Justin Steele: first 10-K game by a #Cubs pitcher *drafted by the Cubs* since Jeff Samardzija" - @ Christopher Kamka

Expect Steele, who has a high punchout rate, to hit the over easily as long as he isn't pulled early.

Pick: Justin Steele Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+122)

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Betting Prediction

Despite Wainwright's productive start to the season, this Cubs lineup has a lot of plate appearances against him. With familiarity and some solid hitters in the middle of the lineup, the Cubs have a chance of putting up some runs themselves and forcing the game over the total runs. On the other hand, the weather is expected to be in the 50s, with winds blowing in, so it could go either way. Look for the Cubs to bounce back from Saturday's loss and improve upon their disappointing home record.

Prediction: Chicago Cubs ML (+120) & First 5 Innings Under 4.5 Runs (-110)