Chicago Cubs vs St Louis Cardinals Prediction, Preview and Odds - 06/26/2025

Game Time: 2:15 pm ET, Thursday, June 26, 2025

Venue:  Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

Where to Watch:  MARQ, FDSMW

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -137, Cardinals +112; Over/Under:  9 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -135, Cardinals +115; Over/Under:  9 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Cubs -135, Cardinals +115; Over/Under:  9 runs

Chicago Cubs:  46-33 (1st place, NL Central)

St Louis Cardinals:  44-36 (3rd place, NL Central)

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Chicago Cubs:  4-6 last 10

St Louis Cardinals:  8-2 last 10

The Cubs are entering this series off a loss and lost their 3-game series against the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 46-33 record overall and have a road record of 21-18. This is the series finale of a 4-game series with the Cardinals on Thursday with the 3rd game still to be played on Wednesday. The Cubs lost the series opener on Monday and the 2nd game on Tuesday.  Their offense ranks 4th in the MLB with a .768 OPS. Matthew Boyd is their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Shota Imanaga is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA this season. His team won 3 of their last 4 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 ER, 0 HR, and 1 BB with 4 SO on 4 hits through 5.2 IP against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Cardinals are entering this series off a loss and won their 3-game series against the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 44-36 record overall and have a home record of 26-15. This is the 4th game of a 4-game series with the Cubs on Thursday with the 3rd game of this series still to be played on Wednesday. The Cardinals won the 1st game of this series on Monday and the 2nd game on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 13th in the MLB with a .726 OPS. Erick Fedde is their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Andre Pallante is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 5-3 with a 4.48 ERA this season. His team won their last 2 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 earned runs, 0 homers, and 1 walk with 4 strikeouts on 2 hits through 6 innings pitched against the Cincinnati Reds.

The current betting odds have the Cubs listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cardinals have looked good in their games this season with their 44-36 record overall which has them right in the middle of the NL Central. They have also looked a lot better in their own ballpark with their 26-15 home record. Meanwhile, the Cubs have looked really good in their games this season with their 46-33 record overall which has them right at the top of the NL Central with one of the best records in the entire MLB. They have also been a good road team with their 21-18 road record. The Cubs haven't been at their best lately as they are 4-6 in their last 10 games while the Cardinals have been red hot, going 8-2 in their last 10 games, but the Cubs do have the better pitching matchup in this one and can take advantage of that to get a much needed win. Imanaga is on the mound for the Cubs in this one and he has looked great in his few starts this season. He is 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA and the team has been having a ton of success with him. He only gave up 2 earned runs in his last start and the team has won 3 of their last 4 games with him starting. He has also been one of their best starters since he joined the team as a rookie. Pallante is on the mound for the Cardinals in this one and he hasn't looked great this year. He is 5-3 with a 4.48 ERA and he has been really up and down all season. He is coming off a great start in which he gave up no runs and the team has won 2 games in a row with him starting too, but the Cubs have one of the best offenses in the MLB and they are going to get to him after losing the first 2 games of this series. This is a good pitching matchup for the Cubs to get a bounce back win in. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game. 

Cubs Cardinals Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Thursday, June 26, 2025 (2:15 pm ET start time) is Cubs 6 Cardinals 2.

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Chicago Cubs: 212-190 (+10.4 units) on the moneyline in all games. 158-138 (+16.2 units) on the moneyline against right-handed starters. 132-90 (+10.8 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -110 or higher. 31-23 OVER when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%).

St Louis Cardinals: 197-206 (-21.1 units) on the moneyline in all games. 105-98 (-15.9 units) on the moneyline in home games. 55-58 (-8.8 units) on the moneyline against left-handed starters. 34-23 UNDER vs. an NL starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.20 or better.

Chicago Cubs:  M. Amaya (C) Ten Day IL - Oblique. E. Morgan (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. S. Imanaga (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Leg. J. Assad (RP) Sixty Day IL - Oblique. J. Steele (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

St Louis Cardinals:  I. Herrera (C) Ten Day IL - Hamstring. Z. Thompson (RP) Sixty Day IL - Lat.

“He lost track of the outs. It’s just a mistake.” - Craig Counsell on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s mistake in their loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday.

"I think we have balanced the whole runway/performance thing well to this point, and all of our guys have had an opportunity.” - Oliver Marmol after his team’s win against the Cubs in their game on Tuesday.

Ian Happ (S) DH

Kyle Tucker (L) RF

Seiya Suzuki (R) LF

Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF

Dansby Swanson (R) SS

Michael Busch (L) 1B

Nico Hoerner (R) 2B

Matt Shaw (R) 3B

Reese McGuire (L) C

Brendan Donovan (L) 2B

Masyn Winn (R) SS

Alec Burleson (L) RF

Willson Contreras (R) 1B

Lars Nootbaar (L) LF

Nolan Arenado (R) 3B

Nolan Gorman (L) DH

Pedro Pagés (R) C

Victor Scott II (L) CF

Batting Average:  Nico Hoerner (.294)

Hits:  Nico Hoerner (85)

Home Runs:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (21)

RBI:  Seiya Suzuki (67)

Stolen Bases:  Pete Crow-Armstrong (24)

Wins:  Jameson Taillon (7)

Saves:  Daniel Palencia (7)

ERA:  Drew Pomeranz (0.00)

Batting Average:  Iván Herrera (.320)

Hits:  Brendan Donovan (87)

Home Runs:  Lars Nootbaar (11)

RBI:  Willson Contreras (50)

Stolen Bases:  Victor Scott (22)

Wins:  Sonny Gray (7)

Saves:  Ryan Helsley (15)

ERA:  Andre Granillo (1.35)

Managers:

Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell (2nd season)

St Louis Cardinals: Oliver Marmol (4th season)