<p>After taking the opener of this NL Central rivalry series Friday night, the Cubs shoot for their first series victory in over a month when the teams meet again Saturday evening at Wrigley Field. Zach Davies, no stranger to St. Louis, takes the pill for the Cubs against lefty Kwang-Hyun Kim for the Cards. Who do we like here for our <a class="advblue" href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/free-mlb-picks&quot; title="Free MLB Picks">free baseball betting pick</a>?</p>
<h2>MLB Betting Odds</h2>
<p><a class="advblue" href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/odds&quot; title="MLB Betting Board">Saturday's baseball betting lines</a> opened the Cubs at around -125 over the Cardinals, with an over/under of 7.5 runs. Early betting action then dipped that line to -115.</p>
<h2>Cardinals-Cubs MLB Betting Preview </h2>
<p>Chicago took the opener of this series Friday afternoon 10-5. The Cubs scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the lead for good, then broke open a close game with five more in the seventh. Chicago won as a -145 favorite with Kyle Hendricks, and the game played over a total of 7.5 runs.</p>
<p>With Friday's win, the Cubs are now 2-12 over their last 14 games.</p>
<p>With Friday's loss, St. Louis is 2-4 over its last six games.</p>
<p>At 44-45 and 43-46, respectively, Chicago and the Cardinals trail division-leading Milwaukee by 8.5 and 9.5 games in the NL Central. They're also eight and nine games behind San Diego in the battle for the second National League wild-card spot.</p>
<p>The Cubbies lead the season series with the Cards six games to one.</p>
<h2>Saturday's Pitching Match-Up</h2>
<p><a class="advblue" href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/pitcherlog/70842&quot; title="Zach Davies Pitching Logs ">Davies</a> is only 4/18 on quality starts this season, although some of that has to do with a short leash. Five times he's pitched to within three outs or less of a QS, only to get pulled. Monday, he held Philadelphia to two runs and four hits through five innings in a game Chicago eventually lost 13-2. And over his last three starts, he's held opponents to four runs and six hits through 15 innings, although he's also walked ten guys over that span.</p>
<p>On the season, the Cubs are 10-8 with Davies, but 1-3 over his last four starts.</p>
<p>In two starts already this season against the Cardinals, Davies scattered six hits and five walks over 11 2/3 scoreless innings. Chicago won both those games by scores of 2-1 and 2-0.</p>
<p><a class="advblue" href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/pitcherlog/335172&quot; title="Kwang Hyun Kim">Lefty Kim</a> is just 2/14 on quality starts this year, but some of that is also due to a short leash. Four times he's pitched to within three outs of a QS, only to get pulled. Monday, he held San Francisco scoreless on three hits through seven innings of a 5-3 St. Louis victory. And just before that, he held Arizona to one run through five frames of a 7-4 Cards win.</p>
<p>St. Louis is 8-6 with Kim this season, 3-2 his last five times out.</p>
<p>In his only previous career start against the Cubbies, in August of last season, Kim allowed one run and three hits through 3 2/3 innings of a 3-1 Cardinals win.</p>
<h2>Splits With the Sticks </h2>
<p>St. Louis is batting .227 against right-handed pitching this season, with a .297 team OBP and a .374 team slugging percentage. Numbers like those cause us to rank this lineup among the worst five or so in the Majors in this split.</p>
<p>Chicago is slashing .255/.329/.424 against left-handed pitching this season.</p>
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<span style="font-size:16px;"><b><span style="color:#008000;">Get more details:</span></b> <a class="advblue" href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/mlb/matchup/1360021">STL/CHC 7/10/21 Game Matchup Stats</a></span>
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<h2>The Bullpens </h2>
<p>The Cardinals bullpen owns a 4.42 ERA this season, along with a 1.43 WHIP and a 1.64 K/BB ratio. Numbers like those cause us to rank this unit among the bottom half-dozen or so bullpens in Baseball right now.</p>
<p>The Cubs pen owns a 3.37 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and a 2.36 K/BB ratio.</p>
<h2>MLB Betting Trends </h2>
<ul>
<li>The Cardinals are 20-28 on the road this season.</li>
<li>The Cubs are 28-16 at home this season.</li>
<li>The Cardinals are 32-37 against right-handed starters this season.</li>
<li>The Cubs are 14-11 against left-handed starters this season.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Totals Report </h2>
<p>The Under is 42-41 in Cardinals games this season.</p>
<p>The Under is 48-36 in Cubs games this season.</p>
<p>The Under is 22-20 in games played at Wrigley Field this season.</p>