05/24/2021
Cubs vs. Cardinals odds, line: 2021 MLB picks, Sunday Night Baseball predictions for May 23 from top model
The Chicago Cubs entered their three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on a hot streak, winning five of seven contests after having lost three straight. Chicago continued its success with a dominant victory in the opener but came up flat on Saturday, registering only five hits en route to a 2-1 defeat. The Cubs attempt to secure their third consecutive series win and climb within two games of their National League Central rivals when they visit the first-place Cardinals for the rubber contest on Sunday Night Baseball.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET. Chicago sends Zach Davies (2-2, 5.58 ERA) to the mound against fellow right-hander Adam Wainwright (2-4, 4.63). St. Louis is the -135 favorite (risk $135 to win $100) on the money line at William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for runs scored is 8.5 in the latest Cubs vs. Cardinals odds. Before making any Cardinals vs. Cubs picks, check out the latest Sunday Night Baseball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
This model, which simulates every pitch of every game 10,000 times, had a banner 2019 season, the league's last full schedule, returning more than $1,400 on its top-rated money-line and run-line MLB picks. It is off to a fast start in 2021, going 52-36 on top-rated MLB money-line picks through seven weeks, returning over $900. Anyone following it has seen huge rewards.
Now, the model has dialed in on Cubs vs. Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the MLB lines and trends for Cardinals vs. Cubs:
Why you should back the Cubs
Prior to Saturday, Chicago had won five of six contests, scoring at least five runs in each victory. The team had its best offensive performance in Friday's series opener, pounding out 12 hits en route to a 12-3 triumph as seven of the first eight batters in the lineup notched at least one hit. Nico Hoerner went 2-for-5 with three runs scored in that contest and enters Sunday with a six-game hitting streak during which he has gone 9-for-24.
Another strong effort at the plate would be appreciated by Davies, who has gone six starts without a loss but has recorded just one victory in that span. The 28-year-old right-hander is coming off a no-decision against Washington in which he gave up three runs over five innings. But Davies yielded a total of two earned runs over 16 1/3 frames in his first three turns in May and owns a 2.11 ERA overall this month after having surrendered four or more runs in three of his final four outings in April.
Why you should back the Cardinals
Yadier Molina was the hero on Saturday, leading off the seventh inning with his seventh homer of the year to snap a 1-1 tie. The 38-year-old Puerto Rican is just 1-for-6 in the series but has had great success against the Cubs during his career. Molina passed Ted Simmons for sole possession of eighth place on the Cardinals' all-time list Saturday with his 111th RBI versus Chicago and pulled even with Ozzie Smith for ninth with his 225th hit against the club.
Molina has hit safely in six of his last seven contests, but Edmundo Sosa has been on fire for St. Louis. The 25-year-old shortstop has recorded five hits in seven at-bats over the first two games of the series and is 8-for-13 with six runs scored in his last four outings.
How to make Cubs vs. Cardinals picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, as the teams combine for 9.0 runs in the simulations, and it also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cardinals vs. Cubs? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the money line to jump on, all from the advanced model off to a hot start in 2021.
