Cardinals vs. Cubs (June 2): Cards to continue winning run with series-opening win in the Windy City

The St. Louis Cardinals have begun June as one of the hotter teams in baseball, and they are hot on the heels of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. will look to keep that good form going as they travel to Chicago to take on the rival Cubs for a five-game series.

The series begins today with rookie Matthew Liberatore taking the hill for the Cards opposite Keegan Thompson for the Cubs, and it will include a Saturday doubleheader and single games today, tomorrow, and on Sunday.

The Cardinals ended May and opened June with a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium, and they have won nine of their last dozen games.

Entering this series, St. Louis is just two games behind Milwaukee in the division, having shaved the deficit in half thanks to their Tuesday and Wednesday wins over the Padres and the Cubs’ wins over the Brewers on both of those days.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals (29-21, 13-10 road, 2nd in the NL Central) vs. Chicago Cubs (21-29, 9-17 home, 4th in the NL Central)
• Venue & Location: Wrigley Field (Chicago, Illinois)
• Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022
• Time: 8:05 p.m. Eastern Time (7:05 p.m. local time)
• How to Watch Today’s Cardinals vs. Cubs Game: Bally Sports Midwest (Cardinals), Marquee Sports Network (Cubs), MLB Extra Innings (subscription package)

Cardinals vs. Cubs Pitching Matchup

• St. Louis Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore (2022: 1-0, 3.72 ERA)
• Chicago Cubs: Keegan Thompson (2022: 11 appearances – 3 starts, 5-0, 1.58 ERA)

Cardinals vs. Cubs Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from our other top reviewed and recommended sportsbooks are also included in this article.

Moneyline

• St. Louis Cardinals -108
• Chicago Cubs -108

Over/Under

• OVER 8 (-118)
• UNDER 8 (-104)

Run Line

• St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 (+152)
• Chicago Cubs +1.5 (-184)

Surging St. Louis Looks to Keep Thompson from Picking Up Fourth Straight Win

The Cardinals are on the road for their next eight games following a nine-game homestand in which they won six games and lost three. St. Louis opened this week by sweeping a San Diego squad that went in with the league’s best road record and only one road series loss all season.

The Cardinals also lost only one road series this season, and they are 7-3 in ten road games against division opposition thus far. They won two of four in Milwaukee, two of three in Cincinnati, and took all three in their series in Pittsburgh.

Liberatore’s first MLB start was on May 21, in the middle game of that series against the Pirates. He allowed four runs, seven hits, and two walks in 4.2 innings, receiving a no-decision in a 5-4 Cardinals win.

In his second start, the 22-year-old was fantastic, allowing two hits and three walks and striking out six in five shutout innings to earn his first MLB win.

On the other side, Thompson is looking to maintain his unbeaten start to the season. He has been the Cubs’ best pitcher this season, and that has carried over to a starting role. In three starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and has allowed three runs, 14 hits, and three walks in 14 innings.

In his season-plus in the big leagues, Thompson has by far been at his best at Wrigley. At home, he is

Home & Away Splits for Keegan Thompson (2021-Present)

• Home: 21 appearances – 5 starts, 6-1, 1.82 ERA, 54.1 IP, 41 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 18 BB, 52 K, 1.086 WHIP, 2.89 K/BB
• Away: 22 appearances – 4 starts, 2-2, 3.69 ERA, 39 IP, 37 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 24 BB, 38 K, 1.564 WHIP, 1.58 K/BB

Stats provided by Baseball Reference.

It is worth noting that in the home games in which Thompson has pitched (this season), either as a starter or a reliever, the Cubs are 4-3 this season and 13-8 since Thompson made his MLB debut in May 2021. In the home games in which he has not pitched, the Cubs are 5-14 this season and 27-44 since Thompson’s MLB debut.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Prediction and Best Bets

Cardinals vs. Cubs Prediction: Cardinals to win

Cardinals vs. Cubs Best Bets: Cardinals ML (-108 at BetOnline & BetUS)

While Thompson has been very good at home and Liberatore is making just his third MLB start, the Cardinals are the better pick here. Against a team that isn’t very good and has been at its worst at home, a St. Louis team that is on a good run right now is excellent value at this number.

A win for the visitors would be in line with season-long trends as well. The Cardinals are 5-2 in road series openers this season, while the Cubs are just 3-5 in home series openers.