The Chicago Cubs (13-25) and St. Louis Cardinals (20-20) will continue a National League series Wednesday night at Busch Stadium, with the first pitch scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET
Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago has dropped four of its last five games, including a 4-3 defeat to St. Louis as +206 road underdogs Tuesday, while pushing up against the betting total of 7. The Cubs are now 2-8 in one-run games and 1-5 in extra-inning affairs during the 2014 campaign. It’s important to point out that the squad has totaled 30 hits in splitting the first two games of this series. Chicago is 10-18 as road underdogs of +175 to +200 the last two-plus seasons, with the UNDER going 17-11 in that situation.
Cubs starting pitcher Jason Hammel (4-1, 2.45 ERA) has watched the club drop his last two trips to the mound, but he hasn’t earned a decision over that span—allowing five runs and 14 hits over 13 combined innings in that period. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.95 ERA in four road appearances, with opposing hitters batting just .172 against him. Hammel owns a 1.63 WHIP in going 1-1 with a 5.28 ERA in three career starts versus the Cardinals.
St. Louis has alternated wins and losses over its last four games, with the OVER going 2-1-1 in that span. The Cardinals’ bullpen has carried a heavy load in the first two games of this series, especially since closer Trevor Rosenthan was unable to hold a one-run lead Tuesday. Offensively, the club is averaging 3.80 runs and hitting .248 over its last 10 contests. St. Louis is 17-9 as home favorites of -175 to -200 since the start of the 2012 campaign.
Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (2-3, 2.85 ERA) has watched the franchise fall in defeat in his last five trips to the mound, but he didn’t earn a decision in a 6-4 setback on the road to the Pittsburgh Pirates last time out. The right-hander has tallied a perfect 2-0 record and 3.38 ERA in three home appearances—issuing four walks and striking out 20 batters in 18.2 combined innings. Wacha is 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA in four lifetime appearances versus the Cubs.
Sports bettors will likely back the Cardinals due to the Cubs being 11-23 in their last 34 division affairs.
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