Someone has to win as the -127 favored Chicago Cubs, fresh off a 10-game losing streak, meet the St. Louis Cardinals, losers of the last four.
These teams are separated by a half game, with the Wild Card cutoff line between them, so as if a historic rivalry wasn’t enough, both teams will be looking at this as a crucial series.
For as close as these two teams are in record and trajectory, the odds seem to be much more heavily slanted. That’s why my Cubs vs. Cardinals predictions and MLB picks are starting with a St. Louis victory.
Who will win Cubs vs Cardinals today: Cardinals moneyline (+115)
The St. Louis Cardinals are underdogs despite being the home team and being better over the last 10.
Andre Pallante's improved pitch mix has paid dividends, and he's allowed just two runs across 12 2/3 innings over his last two starts. In an even matchup with a more reliable starter, I’d take St. Louis and the plus-money odds.
The Chicago Cubs start Shota Imanaga, coming off two starts where he allowed 15 runs and five homers in 10 1/3 innings. On offense, Chicago has been shut out almost as many times (4) as they’ve scored five (5) over the last 18 games.
COVERS INTEL: Historically, the fastball is the only one of Pallante’s pitches teams can hit, and he’s throwing it just 30% of the time, down from 44% last year. His breaking stuff is 93rd percentile, and he’s making batters guess wrong. They swing at pitches in the strike zone 63% of the time, down 5.2% from last year, and his chase rate has moved up 14 percentiles. 
Cubs vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-130)
Chicago scored 17 in winning the last two in Pittsburgh, but neither team has been hitting it well this month. After entering the month in the Top 5 in batting, the Cubs rank 14th in MLB at the plate in May.
Their OPS of .652 is down 128 points, and they’re batting 11% below league average in May. St. Louis is two spots lower in the May rankings and has dropped 61 points in OPS. They’re also 8% under the league average.
While Imanaga has struggled lately, his underlying metrics are still among baseball’s best. This Cubs bullpen has also been solid, with a 2.88 ERA and 1.16 WHIP on the year.
- ML/RL bets: 16-20, -3.28 units
- Over/Under bets: 19-21, -3.51 units
Cubs vs Cardinals odds
- Moneyline: Cubs -130 | Cardinals +110
- Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+135) | Cardinals +1.5 (-160)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Cubs vs Cardinals trend
The Cardinals have cashed the Under in 15 of their last 22 games for +9.5 units and a 39% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Cardinals.
How to watch Cubs vs Cardinals and game info
| Location | Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO |
| Date | Friday, May 29, 2026 |
| First pitch | 7:15 p.m. ET |
| TV | Marquee, Cardinals.TV |
| Cubs starting pitcher | Shota Imanaga (2-3, 5.34 ERA) |
| Cardinals starting pitcher | Andre Pallante (3-2, 3.34 ERA) |
Cubs vs Cardinals latest injuries
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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