NL Central Powerhouses Will Showcase Offensive Prowess

Cubs vs. Cardinals, 7:45 ET

I put out a parlay on Sunday and it was… not good. I had an under in one game - one team flew over the total by themselves. I had an over for the team total in another game, and they got very little offense going. The third game I also took an under, and the game was another easy over. The only one I got right, which ruined any chance anyone had of just fading my picks, was the Brewers winning their game. Maybe I should just stick to the NL Central which is great because this one is between the Cubs and Cardinals. 

The Cubs are one of the best teams in baseball and that's not something that you can say regularly about this club. They are playing well not only at home, but on the road. Perhaps most impressive is that the team has done the bulk of their damage without two-thirds of the rotation they expected to have this season. They are without Justin Steele all year, and Shota Imanaga has been out for most of the year as well. Imanaga will be back soon, but the Cubs staff has done a surprisingly effective job this year, and they have one of the best bullpens. Their starter today, Jameson Taillon, has been one of the foundational pieces in their rotation. For the year, the right-hander is 7-4 with a 3.84 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He has been worse on the road this season, but still has managed to deliver decent performances in most games. He has put up a quality start in three of his past four road outings. The Cardinals have done a good job of hitting Taillon in the past, going 40-for-128. 

Jul 14, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA;  Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis is having a resurgent season this year. Last year, they did show some signs that they might be successful, but not enough to really, truly make a difference and navigate their way into the playoffs. This season, the team has been above .500 long enough to trust that their team will likely be a buyer instead of a seller. However, they also aren't ridiculously high above the mark to make you truly confident this team is the team to beat. Couple that with the fact that the Reds and Brewers are also above .500, it isn't like this team is guaranteed anything. Today the Cardinals hope to get closer to the Cubs with Erick Fedde taking the ball. For the year, Fedde is 3-6 with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Although he has been worse at home this year, he has had a mixture of bad and good starts. The Cubs are hitting him pretty well themselves, going 22-for-77 against him. 

For whatever it is worth, the prediction for this game according to ESPN is essentially a coin flip. I tend to agree with that assessment, but I lean toward the Cubs winning it. I've said this before, I avoid betting too many leans on the Cubs because I am a fan of the team. Instead, I think the teams get some runs on the board with these two pitchers in sub-optimal situations. Back the over.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024