Cash Out Sports Picks backed the Cubs money line, arguing Chicago holds a clear edge both on the mound and at the plate. Shota Imanaga comes off a rehab stint having tossed 10.1 scoreless minor-league innings and owns a 1.19 road ERA in four big-league starts, while Cards sinker-baller Andre Pallante relies on grounders against a Cubs lineup with MLB’s lowest ground-ball rate. St. Louis’ recent home-run binge (seven bombs in the first two games of the series) is offset by Palante’s 5.13 ERA across his last five outings. Chicago has thrived as a favorite and just routed the Cards 8-0, and the Cubs’ deeper lineup plus Imanaga’s dominance make the North Siders the right side despite a tight NL Central race.

Kenny G said the only side he can stomach in this rivalry finale is the Cubs at –135. He trusts Shota Imanaga despite the left-hander coming off a short IL stint for a hamstring tweak, pointing out Imanaga’s 2.82 ERA, 28% strikeout rate and the extra rest that should leave his arm "feeling great." Chicago backs him with a 3.41 bullpen ERA and the No. 2 scoring offense in baseball: eighth in average (.255) and fourth in slugging. Kenny is far less confident in Andre Pallante (4.48 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) and a St. Louis relief corps that still owns a shaky 3.88 ERA. He conceded the Cardinals rank sixth in runs and average, but losing Jordan Walker (appendicitis) removes a key middle-order bat. Trend data also leans Chicago: the Cubs are 21-18 on the road while St. Louis is just 23-16-2 to the over at Busch, hinting Imanaga can keep the total in check. Kenny called the over-nine “tempting” given both teams’ over records but ultimately labeled Cubs ML his actionable play, grading it a small-stakes bet until Imanaga proves the hamstring is 100%.

Reichel recommended taking St. Louis at +115 with Andre Pallante in far better rhythm than Shota Imanaga, who has not thrown a big-league pitch since May 4th. Pallante has surrendered only five earned runs across his last three outings (2.45 ERA in that span) while leaning on a heavy-ground-ball profile that plays inside Busch Stadium. Imanaga is expected to be on a pitch count after a lengthy IL stint, forcing the Cubs’ mediocre bullpen (4.31 ERA) to cover significant innings. The Cardinals are 26-15 at home and own a .763 OPS against left-handed pitching, giving them both venue and platoon advantages. Reichel framed the plus-money price as a market overreaction to Imanaga’s early-season buzz rather than his current uncertain workload.

Just A Bet Outside hammered the Cubs alt team-total over 2.5, citing both form and ideal hitting weather in St. Louis. Chicago has scored three or more in 70 % of its games, is averaging 5.4 runs over its last 10, and has posted six-plus in four of the last five. Thursday’s forecast calls for 94° temperatures with wind blowing out, conditions he described as “Wrigley South.” Opposing starter Andre Palante is coming off a season-best outing, but the host called it a sell-high spot because Palante had surrendered at least three earned in four of five appearances prior and owns a below-average whiff rate. With a hittable ground-ball profile and a bullpen that has struggled in protect-the-lead spots, the tout expects Chicago to reach three runs quickly.

Arenado carries a 2-for-6 (.333) resume versus Cubs southpaw Shota Imanaga and has hits in seven of his last 10 games, although he is currently 0-for-his last-2. The tout still lists him among qualifying 300-average hot hitters for bettors comfortable with a bit more variance.

It's The Final Round noted Happ’s 3-for-6 (.500) history against Andre Pallante and his recent six-of-seven hit streak. That blend of pitcher history and current form meets the tout’s 300-average/“hot right now” filter, making Happ a viable leg in Thursday hit parlays.

Matt Perrault said to keep hammering the over 8.5 runs in tonight’s Cubs-Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. Chicago has dropped five of its last six contests and every one turned into a shoot-out, posting finals of 8-7, 9-4, 10-7, 14-6, 8-2 and 8-7. Perrault noted the Cubs “can’t get anybody out” and their bullpen is leaking badly. Projected starters do little to stem the tide: Matthew Boyd is 0-3 on the road with a 3.22 ERA and .272 opponents’ average, while Eric Fedde owns a 4.36 home ERA and has surrendered 16 earned in 33 innings at Busch. Both pens are equally combustible. DraftKings opened the total 8.5 with the over juiced to –122 and most books are already climbing to 9, so Perrault urged grabbing 8.5 before it disappears.

Bryce Hunt advised betting the Chicago Cubs first-five moneyline in St. Louis. He expects regression for Erick Fedde, who has surrendered three or more runs only once in June but did so against light-hitting lineups (Brewers, White Sox) and even needed Houdini acts to blank the Dodgers. Hunt thinks Fedde’s luck ends against a Cubs offense that just torched Wrigley with the wind howling and remains one of MLB’s hottest groups. On the mound Matthew Boyd brings his vintage fastball/change/slider mix, trusts his above-average infield to turn grounders, and faces a Cardinals lineup that sits around league average versus lefties and can go ice-cold. Hunt believes the Cubs can use this series to create NL Central separation, so he is backing them for one unit over the first five innings.

Malcom Bamford targeted Willson Contreras for a home-run prop on Tuesday, pointing to Jameson Taillon’s extreme long-ball issues. Taillon has already surrendered 18 homers in just 15 starts this season and owns markedly worse splits on the road, where his barrel rate jumps nearly two percentage points. Contreras slots into the cleanup spot and carries a .240 ISO versus right-handed pitching, making him the logical Cardinal to punish Taillon’s elevated four-seam that has produced a 47% fly-ball rate. Bamford expects St. Louis’ humid summer conditions to aid carry and believes any price of +400 or longer on a Contreras homer is worth a sprinkle.

With the market still off the board, Malcom Bamford said he will look to bet St. Louis if oddsmakers hang anything close to a pick’em against Chicago. He expects Eric Fedde to get the ball and likes what he has seen— a 3.03 ERA in May followed by a 2.49 ERA in June. Fedde’s improved cutter/slider mix has produced a 24% strikeout rate since mid-May. Bamford is willing to fade Jameson Taillon’s 4.11 road ERA and recent five-run beating by Milwaukee, noting the Cubs are living off the long ball (11 homers in three games) but otherwise in an "average" form cycle. St. Louis owns a 24-15 home record and had a five-game win streak snapped Sunday, so Bamford believes the Cardinals are still undervalued in the market.

Kenny G said the plus-102 moneyline on St. Louis is too tempting to pass up. He pointed out that the Cardinals have won six of their last seven and own a 24-15 record at Busch Stadium, while the Cubs are only −115 favorites despite a more modest 21-16 road mark. Kenny trusts rookie Michael McGreevy after his five-inning, one-run outing against the White Sox and notes St. Louis’ bullpen ERA has tightened to 3.91. Offensively the Cards sit ninth in runs, fifth in OBP and are slashing .255 as a club thanks to hot bats from Alec Burleson, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. With both teams trending to the over, he still prefers the side play, believing McGreevy can match Jameson Taillon long enough for the deeper St. Louis lineup to cash the ticket.

JDBetsHQ locked in Ben Brown over 5.5 strikeouts. The Cubs rookie is averaging exactly seven punch-outs across his last five appearances while working only 5.1 innings per outing, so JD loves the one-and-a-half strikeout buffer above the posted line. St. Louis has fanned 8.4 times per game over the past ten, 18th in MLB, and nobody in the Cardinals lineup has ever faced Brown, giving the pitcher a first-look advantage. JD noted that Brown’s strikeout arsenal plays up late—he is already clearing the 5.5 mark in as few as four innings—so a normal six-inning leash would place him firmly in the 7–8 K window.

Mark’s final official ticket is the Cubs team-total over 4.5 runs at even money. Chicago has cleared that number in four of its last five, piling up 22 combined runs during the span despite a lopsided 14-6 loss to Seattle. He’s happy to attack St. Louis lefty Matthew Liberatore, who owns a 5.12 ERA and has surrendered a .292 opponents’ average. Liberatore’s 11.2% walk rate should gift extra base-runners to a Cubs lineup that ranks top-10 in barrel rate. With Ben Brown’s volatility likely forcing David Ross to empty a shaky bullpen, Mark expects another high-scoring environment at Busch Stadium and projects Chicago for 5–6 runs, calling even-money pricing a worthwhile splash.

Lindquist called Alec Burleson a "sneaky, sneaky saucy" prop target Monday against Cubs rookie Ben Brown. Burleson owns just a 13.5% strikeout rate with a 16-degree launch angle and .444 xSLG, an ideal profile against the swing-and-miss stuff Brown leans on (29% K rate). With heat and humidity soaring in St. Louis, ball-flight conditions will mimic last weekend’s Wrigley "nuclear" series that produced multiple double-digit totals. Lindquist is waiting for markets to post but plans to hit Burleson 1.5 total bases or even HR (+600 or longer), emphasizing that his contact skill should negate Brown’s biggest weapon.

Dylan Rockford made St. Louis a –130 favorite yet found them at –110, calling it his first side of the day. The Cardinals are 24-14 straight-up at Busch and hitting .272 at home. Rockford wants to fade Ben Brown, whose road ERA sits near 6.00 and who has been tagged for six-plus runs in three of his last four away turns. While Liberatore’s overall line is ugly, Rockford believes last week’s six-inning, two-run outing could be the confidence reset he needed. Chicago is 28th in wRC+ versus left-handers, further tilting the matchup. With St. Louis playing its best baseball in weeks and the price still cheap, Rockford said he’ll ride the Redbirds and may sprinkle their team total Over 4 as well.