On Thursday, a battle of NL Central rivals is on the schedule, with the Chicago Cubs (52-58) hosting the St. Louis Cardinals (56-52) at 8:05 PM ET.

The Cubs are projected as a close favorite (-114 to win on the moneyline) against the Cardinals (-105). The matchup on the mound for this contest is set with the Chicago Cubs looking to Shota Imanaga (8-2), and Sonny Gray (10-6) taking the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Cubs won their most recent game against the Reds yesterday by a 13-4 score. Ian Happ went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI to lead them offensively. Kyle Hendricks picked up the win on the strength of five innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits while striking out four.

Yesterday, the Cardinals took down the Rangers 10-1. Michael McGreevy was the winning pitcher after he went seven innings, giving up one earned run on five hits while striking out three. Tommy Pham led the Cardinals’ offense, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

Here’s what you need to get ready for Thursday’s Cubs vs. Cardinals action, including viewing options.

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals odds and betting lines

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Thursday at 3:16 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

  • Favorite: Cubs (-114, bet $114 to win $100)
  • Underdog: Cardinals (-105, bet $105 to win $100)
  • Over/under: 8

Cubs vs. Cardinals: Live streaming info & game time

  • Game Day: Thursday, August 1, 2024
  • Game Time: 8:05 PM ET
  • Stadium: Wrigley Field
  • TV Channel: Bally Sports
  • Live Stream: Fubo (Watch for free)

Cubs stats and trends

Cubs betting records

  • This season, the Cubs have won 21 out of the 46 games, or 45.7%, in which they’ve been favored.
  • Chicago has a record of 19-23 in games when oddsmakers favor them by at least -114 on the moneyline.
  • The sportsbooks’ moneyline implies a 53.3% chance of a victory for the Cubs.
  • Chicago and its opponents have gone over the total this season in 46 of 110 opportunities.
  • The Cubs are 49-60-0 against the spread in their 109 chances this season.

Shota Imanaga (Cubs probable starter)

  • Imanaga (8-2 with a 2.95 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 109 2/3 innings pitched) makes the start for the Cubs, his 20th of the season.
  • In his most recent appearance on Saturday, the lefty threw 5 2/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals, allowing three earned runs while surrendering six hits.
  • In 19 games this season, the 30-year-old has amassed a 2.95 ERA and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing a batting average of .236 to opposing batters.
  • Imanaga is looking to collect his 13th quality start of the year in this game.
  • Imanaga is seeking his sixth straight outing lasting five or more innings. He averages 5.7 innings per appearance on the mound.
  • In seven of his appearances this season he did not give up an earned run.
  • He will take the hill against a Cardinals team that is hitting .247 as a unit (13th in MLB). It is also slugging a collective .389 (19th in MLB) with 112 total home runs (19th in MLB).
  • In seven innings over one appearance against the Cardinals this season, Imanaga has a 1.29 ERA and a 0.571 WHIP while his opponents are batting .167.

Cubs batting stats

  • The Cubs rank 24th in Major League Baseball with 108 home runs.
  • Hitters for Chicago have combined for a team rank of 22nd in the majors with a .378 team slugging percentage.
  • The Cubs rank 23rd in MLB with a .234 team batting average.
  • Chicago has scored the 20th-most runs in the majors this season with 457 (4.2 per game).
  • The Cubs have an on-base percentage of .310 this season, which ranks 17th in the league.
  • Chicago ranks 21st in MLB in strikeouts per game with an average of 8.7 whiffs per contest.

Cardinals stats and trends

Cardinals betting records

  • The Cardinals have been underdogs in 52 games this season and have come away with the win 26 times (50%) in those contests.
  • St. Louis has a mark of 25-26 in contests where oddsmakers favor it by -105 or worse on the moneyline.
  • The Cardinals have an implied victory probability of 51.2% according to the moneyline set by oddsmakers for this matchup.
  • Contests with St. Louis has gone over the total set by oddsmakers in 51 of 107 chances this season.
  • The Cardinals have an against the spread record of 54-52-0 in 106 games with a line this season.

Sonny Gray (Cardinals probable starter)

  • Gray gets the start for the Cardinals, his 20th of the season. He is 10-6 with a 3.79 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 111 2/3 innings pitched.
  • His last appearance came on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, when the right-hander threw five innings, surrendering five earned runs while giving up seven hits.
  • In 19 games this season, the 34-year-old has an ERA of 3.79, with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .230 against him.
  • Gray has eight quality starts under his belt this year.
  • Gray is looking for his fifth straight outing lasting five or more innings. He averages 5.9 frames per start.
  • He has held his opponents without an earned run in four of his 19 appearances this season.
  • He will match up with a Cubs squad that is batting .234 as a unit (23rd in the MLB). They are also slugging a collective .378 (22nd in the league) with 108 total home runs (24th in MLB action).
  • Head-to-head against the Cubs this season, Gray has pitched 12 innings, giving up three earned runs on 10 hits while striking out 14.
  • Among qualifying pitchers in MLB play this season, the 34-year-old’s 3.79 ERA ranks 38th, 1.101 WHIP ranks 22nd, and 11.1 K/9 ranks fifth.

Cardinals batting stats

  • The Cardinals average one home run per game to rank 19th in MLB action with 112 total home runs.
  • This season, St. Louis ranks 19th in the majors with a .389 slugging percentage.
  • The Cardinals rank 13th in the majors with a .247 batting average.
  • St. Louis scores the 22nd-most runs in baseball (454 total, 4.2 per game).
  • The Cardinals rank 17th in the majors with an on-base percentage of .310.

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