Cubs vs. Cardinals: Picks, predictions, how to watch Friday’s game

The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals square off on Friday with first pitch set for 8:15 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Adrian Sampson (1-4, 3.97 ERA) will start for the Cubs, and Jordan Montgomery (7-3, 3.28 ERA) will take the mound for the Cardinals.

St. Louis (76-55) hasn’t lost a series since August 11, taking home at least two of three (and, in the case of the last Wrigley homestand, three of five). Sitting atop the NL Central, the Cardinals are 6.5 games ahead of the Brewers with a magic number of 23 right now to clinch the division.

First baseman Albert Pujols, with one month left of his MLB career, is only six home runs shy of 700, a number that only three other players in history have reached.

The Cubs (56-75), out of the playoff picture altogether, continue to struggle through the season, though they notched some big wins against their divisional rival Brewers this month.

Cubs vs. Cardinals

Pitchers: Adrian Sampson vs. Jordan Montgomery
First pitch: 8:15 p.m. ET
Cubs local broadcast: Marquee Sports Network
Cardinals local broadcast: Bally Sports Midwest
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Cardinals -1.5
Run total: 8
Moneyline odds: Cardinals -245, Cubs +205

Moneyline pick: Cardinals -245

The Cubs tend to struggle against this Cards lineup, and with the pitching mismatch on the mound today and the division clinch in sight for St. Louis, I think that the home team takes tonight’s game.

Player prop pick: Albert Pujols over 0.5 HR, +425

He’s going to be swinging for them in front of the home crowd as he goes for 700 against Sampson, whose ERA in the past seven games is at 4.59.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/KS/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (ONT), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA(select parishes)/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. DraftKings operates pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario. Please play responsibly.