MLB Betting Picks June 11, 2021 – St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs have exceeded expectations this season and they enter their weekend set with NL Central rival St. Louis Cardinals tied for first in the division. Chicago has won 12 of 17 games after taking the final two of a three-game set in San Diego to finish off a road trip. The Cards are hoping to build off a win Thursday that put a stop to their six-game losing streak. The teams met in St. Louis a few weeks ago with the Cubs taking two of three to start their current surge. The Cubs have yet to name a starter for Saturday’s contest with John Gant getting the nod for the visitors in the middle game of the set.
The game will air live on FOX at 7:15 p.m. ET from Wrigley Field. Betting options for every game on the 2021 MLB schedule are available at BookMaker.eu.
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
Date and Time: Saturday, June 12, 2021, 7:15 p.m. ET
Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Probable Pitchers: John Gant vs. TBD
Opening MLB Odds: (Check Back Later)
Cardinals at Cubs TV Coverage: FOX
Odds Analysis
We’re just not used to seeing the Cardinals struggle as much as they have over the last month. They had lost six straight and 12 of their last 18 games before beating Cleveland 8-2 on Thursday. It was a sigh of relief for them since they were expected to win the division before the season started. They could still finish on top since there are roughly 100 games remaining, but the offense has struggled even with the addition of Nolan Arenado. They rank in the bottom half with a .232 team batting average and average just 4.34 runs per game. And despite the recent skid they are 32-30 while turning a small profit for bettors on the moneyline.
The Cubs gutted their pitching staff during the offseason leading many to believe they were throwing in the towel on the season and starting a rebuild. It was just a few years ago they ended their World Series curse and the window was open for more. Unfortunately it didn’t turn out that way and the club made some changes. It took a while for things to kick in and the Cubs were where most expected them to be earlier in the year sporting a 12-16 record. Since then, however, they’ve gone 23-11 putting them up 823 units on the moneyline.
Probable Pitchers
Injuries have forced the Cards to play with their rotation. That’s another reason why the team has struggled recently. They are currently without ace Jack Flaherty and Kwang Hyun Kim, who have combined to make 20 starts with nine wins. That puts more pressure on scheduled starter John Gant (4-3, 2.63 ERA) to perform. He didn’t do so well last time out in what was his worst start of the season. Gant allowed seven runs on seven hits, including a pair of home runs, but he got a ND in the 8-7 loss to Cincinnati.
That outing kind of came out of nowhere since he’d been nearly flawless allowing no earned runs in three of his previous four starts while boasting a 0.84 ERA over that span. Even though he kept teams off the scoreboard, his wildness finally caught up to him. He walked three batters in each of his last three starts and leads the majors with 37 free passes issued.
The Cubs have their own pitching staff issues to deal with. With Adbert Alzolay going on the IL there is a hole in the rotation. Alzolay would have taken the bump on Saturday but the slot is listed as TBD. The Cubs could bring up a player from the minors or go with a bullpen game. The latter scenario is unlikely since David Ross has yet to employ that strategy.
The more likely scenario is spot start for a player currently on the roster. If that’s the case we could see Kohl Stewart toe the rubber. Both of Stewart’s starts this year came within the last two weeks. He got the nod in San Franciso allowing three runs on seven hits over 3.2 innings of a 4-3 loss. He was more impressive in his first start allowing three hits and no earned runs across 5.0 innings to beat San Diego. However the Cubs play it they well be boosted by a raucous crowd. The team is expecting a full house with COVID restrictions lifted and that will only motivate the home team.
Bet Cardinals at Cubs at BookMaker.eu
These teams have treated us to some beauties over the years whether it’s in the postseason or in the middle of June, and the games are even more intense when they are battling for the division lead. The Cubs face a strong arm in Gant and they haven’t exactly been ripping the cover off the baseball. This is a good time for the Cards to get a win and I expect the visitors to do that on Saturday.
MLB Score Prediction: Cardinals 4, Cubs 3
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today.
- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com
