There’s a matinee in store between NL Central rivals as the Chicago Cubs (71-51) host the St. Louis Cardinals (61-60) to open a three-game series at Wrigley Field in Illinois to kick off Friday’s MLB slate. The Cardinals won the first two series against the Cubs in the first half of the season, but Chicago won a four-game set at the end of July to even the season series at five wins apiece heading into the fourth and final regular-season meeting of the year between the two.
The Cubs have been playing winning baseball over the last two months, particularly as of late, winning eight of their last 10 games and posting a 17-9 record since the All-Star break. Chicago enters Friday with the top Wild Card spot in the National League while also keeping pace with the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, sitting just four games back in the division.
The Cardinals are starting to heat up, having won seven of their last 10 games, including back-to-back victories against Philadelphia to close out that series earlier this week. St. Louis continues to gain ground in the NL Wild Card race, entering Friday three games back of the final spot.
Matthew Liberatore is scheduled to take the mound Friday afternoon for the Cardinals as the left-hander brings a 5.15 ERA into the matchup. He’s coming off a start in which he allowed nine hits and five earned runs over five innings in a loss to Colorado. Former All-Star reliever-turned-starter Clay Holmes is set to make his second start for the Cubs since being acquired via trade from the New York Mets. It will be just his 11th start of the season after missing a large portion of the year with a fractured right fibula.
Cardinals vs. Cubs Odds
Both teams are enjoying a nice stretch right now, but Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook gives the Cubs the edge for Friday afternoon’s series opener as home favorites:
- Moneyline: Cubs -175, Cardinals +165
- Run Line: Cubs -1.5 (+120), Cardinals +1.5 (-130)
- Total (Runs): Over 7.5 (-120), Under 7.5 (+110)
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Cardinals vs. Cubs Predictions
There aren’t many better ways to kick off the weekend than with some day baseball action at a historic ballpark between division rivals battling for playoff positioning. The Stats Hub at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook offers daily baseball betting insights and trends for MLB games to help make picks for each matchup like the one below:
Cubs vs. Cardinals Best Bet: Cubs Moneyline (-175)
The Cubs may have been shut out 7-0 in Thursday’s series finale against Washington, but they now head back to Wrigley, where they’ve posted one of the best home records in MLB this season. While the Cardinals are coming off back-to-back victories and have been playing winning baseball over their last 10 games, something to keep in mind Friday afternoon is that the Cubs have won nine consecutive games following a loss.
- Cubs vs. Cardinals Moneyline Pick for Aug. 14: Cubs (-175)
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props for STL-CHC
Pete Crow-Armstrong has been one of the best players in MLB over the last two seasons and is currently the betting favorite to win the 2026 NL MVP Award (-125) at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook. The 24-year-old center fielder owns the two most-bet player props heading into Friday’s matinee at Wrigley:
- Pete Crow-Armstrong – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Pete Crow-Armstrong – Over 0.5 Hits
- Jordan Walker – Over 0.5 Home Runs
- Alec Burleson – Over 0.5 Hits
- Nico Hoerner – Over 0.5 Hits
Cardinals vs. Cubs Game Info
- š Where: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
- š Date: Friday, Aug. 14
- ā° First Pitch: 2:20 PM ET
- šŗš» TV/Streaming: Apple TV
- ā¾ Probable Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore
- Cubs: Clay Holmes
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Referenced odds are subject to change.
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