Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Thursday, July 30, 2026

The Chicago Cubs visit the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday at 2:15 PM ET at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Chicago is 61-46 and sits second in the NL Central, six games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs have won four of their last five games and have taken the first two games of this series with convincing 7-3 and 10-2 victories. St. Louis is 53-54 and sits fourth in the NL Central, 14 games behind Milwaukee. The Cardinals have lost three straight games and are 27-31 at home this season. Be a big winner with our free MLB picks.

Chicago Cubs Looking to Continue Strong Play

The Cubs have one of the National League's most productive offenses, batting .250 while scoring 558 runs with 919 hits, 133 home runs, a .341 on-base percentage, and a .417 slugging percentage. Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to lead the way with a .285 batting average, 114 hits, 23 home runs, and 61 RBIs. Dansby Swanson has matched Crow-Armstrong with 61 RBIs, Seiya Suzuki has added 18 home runs and 60 RBIs, while Ian Happ has contributed 18 home runs. Chicago has scored 28 runs over its last four victories and continues to pressure opposing pitching staffs throughout the lineup.

The Cubs have also received reliable work from their pitching staff, which owns a 4.22 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP while holding opponents to a .246 batting average. Chicago has recorded 825 strikeouts and has consistently backed its offense with timely pitching. The Cubs have allowed only five runs during the first two games of this series, helping extend their recent winning streak.

Injuries: Ethan Roberts (15-Day IL), Matt Shaw (10-Day IL), Hoby Milner (15-Day IL), Riley Martin (15-Day IL), Tyler Austin (60-Day IL).

St. Louis Cardinals Look to Turn Things Around

The Cardinals are batting .239 while scoring 471 runs with 856 hits, 112 home runs, a .315 on-base percentage, and a .380 slugging percentage. Jordan Walker has powered the lineup with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs while batting .283. Alec Burleson is hitting .285 with 116 hits and 71 RBIs, JJ Wetherholt has added 15 home runs, and Ivan Herrera owns a .362 on-base percentage. St. Louis has several productive hitters, but the offense has struggled during its current three-game losing streak.

The Cardinals have posted a 4.21 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat .255 this season. The staff has collected 825 strikeouts but has been unable to slow Chicago's lineup in this series. St. Louis has surrendered 17 runs through the first two games and will need a much stronger effort from both the starting pitcher and bullpen to avoid another loss.

Injuries: Riley O'Brien (Day-to-Day), JoJo Romero (15-Day IL), Ramon Urias (60-Day IL), Max Rajcic (60-Day IL).

Pitching Matchup

Chicago Cubs – Shota Imanaga

Imanaga is 7-8 with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across 121 innings. He has allowed 104 hits while striking out 113 batters and walking only 29. The left-hander has consistently limited baserunners and gives Chicago another dependable starter in this matchup.

St. Louis Cardinals – Andre Pallante

Pallante enters with an 11-6 record, a 3.77 ERA, and a 1.21 WHIP over 112.1 innings. He has allowed 104 hits while striking out 83 batters and surrendering only 10 home runs. Pallante has delivered quality results throughout the season despite the Cardinals' recent struggles.

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Game Pick

• Chicago Cubs

Chicago has been the better team throughout this series, winning the first two games by a combined 17-5 score. The Cubs own the stronger offense, have scored nearly 90 more runs than St. Louis this season, and send Shota Imanaga to the mound with a 1.10 WHIP. With the lineup swinging the bats well and the pitching staff performing at a high level, Chicago is the play to win on Thursday.

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Over/Under Pick

• Under

Both starting pitchers enter with ERAs below 3.80, and each has consistently worked deep into games. Shota Imanaga has limited traffic with a 1.10 WHIP, while Andre Pallante has allowed only 10 home runs in 112.1 innings. Strong starting pitching should keep scoring under control for much of this matchup, resulting in the under cashing.