Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals - June 26, 2025

As a seasoned bettor, I’ve seen my fair share of matchups that get the blood pumping. And this one between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium is no exception. With the Cubs coming off a dominant 8-0 victory over the Cards, they’re riding high. But let’s break this down before we jump in with our bets.

Shota Imanaga takes the mound for the Cubs. The left-hander has been solid this season with a record of 3-2 and an impressive ERA of 2.22. While not quite as sharp as his numbers suggest lately—he’s had some shaky outings—the kid knows how to keep runs off the board when he’s on his game. He generates plenty of strikeouts, averaging around 7.6 per nine innings, which is vital against a lineup that can be explosive.

On the other side, we have Andre Pallante for St. Louis who holds a slightly less stellar ERA of 4.48 but boasts a respectable 5-3 record overall. His strikeout rate is lower at roughly 7.3 per nine innings, but he’s been able to find ways to limit damage when needed—though you can’t ignore those inconsistencies that come with being a right-handed pitcher facing lefty-heavy lineups like the Cubs.

Now, let’s talk offense! The Cubs are putting up an impressive average of about 5.5 runs per game on nearly 8.9 hits—a potent combination that makes them formidable opponents, especially with runners in scoring position (5+ RBIs on average). They may have stumbled recently going just 2-5 in their last seven games straight-up and against-the-spread (ATS), but they have shown flashes of brilliance that can’t be ignored.

Conversely, St. Louis comes in averaging about 4.7 runs and nearly 8.7 hits per game with similar RBI stats as well; however, their home performance has been lackluster lately – just look at that recent loss to Chicago plus their underwhelming home ATS record where they’re only covering about a third of their games.

Oddsmakers opened this matchup with Chicago favored at -133 while setting the total at nine—which feels generous considering we might see more pitchers’ duels than offensive explosions here tonight.

Given everything on paper, it seems wise to lean towards taking St. Louis for this bet despite their recent struggles because there’s something about home-field advantage that can spark life into struggling teams; don’t underestimate what playing in front of your crowd can do for players looking to bounce back from humiliation!

With my betting ritual intact—wearing my lucky cap—and soaring confidence from past victories (and yes, even losses!), I’m placing my chips on St.Louis tonight while also betting on the Under given both starters’ capabilities and recent trends pointing towards lower-scoring affairs.
In conclusion: Cardinals take this one—and keep it under!