St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs Picks and Predictions August 10th 2025

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The Chicago Cubs will visit the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Sunday, August 10, 2025. The game is set to start at 7:10 PM and will be broadcast on ESPN. The Cubs, managed by Craig Counsell, hold a 67-49 record and are ranked second in the NL Central. They are coming off a win and have split their last 10 games evenly.

The Cardinals, led by manager Oliver Marmol, have a 59-59 record and sit fourth in the division. They are looking to bounce back after a loss and have won four of their last 10 games. The weather forecast predicts a very hot day with overcast clouds and a light breeze. On the mound, Shota Imanaga will start for the Cubs, while Sonny Gray will take the ball for the Cardinals.

Cubs vs Cardinals Key Information

  • Sport: Baseball
  • Teams: Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals
  • Venue: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO
  • Date: Sunday, August 10, 2025
  • Betting Odds: Cubs Moneyline -124, Cardinals Moneyline +105

The Cubs Can Win If…

The Chicago Cubs enter this game with momentum after a 9-1 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. Colin Rea delivered a strong performance, pitching six innings and allowing just one run. Matt Shaw and Michael Busch powered the offense, each hitting home runs and combining for five RBIs.

The Cubs’ batting lineup is a significant threat, ranking 3rd in slugging percentage at .439. They have hit 166 home runs, placing them 4th in the league. Seiya Suzuki leads the team with 27 home runs, while Michael Busch contributes with 22, making them a powerful duo.

On the mound, Shota Imanaga offers stability with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.00. He has a solid record of 8-4, indicating his effectiveness in keeping games under control. The Cubs’ pitching staff also ranks 9th in quality starts, showing their ability to maintain leads.

The Cardinals Can Win If…

The St. Louis Cardinals look to bounce back after a tough 9-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Despite the defeat, the Cardinals had some positive performances, with Lars Nootbaar hitting a double and scoring a run. Willson Contreras and Nolan Gorman also contributed with hits, showing their ability to get on base.

The Cardinals have shown they can win with strong hitting performances. They rank 8th in batting average at .250 and 4th in doubles with 204 this season. These stats indicate their ability to put runners in scoring positions, which can lead to more runs.

Sonny Gray will take the mound for the Cardinals. With a 10-5 record, Gray has proven he can deliver solid outings. His experience and ability to keep the game close can give the Cardinals the edge they need to secure a win.

The Lean

The Cubs are favored with a moneyline of -124, while the Cardinals are at +105. Our model projects the Cubs to win with a score of 5 to 3. The Cubs have a stronger hitting lineup and a better pitching staff, which supports picking them to win straight up.

The total for the game is set at 7.5 runs. Our model predicts a combined score of 8 runs. Given the Cubs’ strong offense and the Cardinals’ pitching struggles, taking the over at 7.5 (-122) is recommended.

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An Ace Showdown: Imanaga, Cubs Face Gray and the Cardinals in Rubber Match

After trading blowout victories in the first two games of their series, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will turn to their respective aces on Sunday night in a premier pitching matchup with massive implications for the National League Central race. The first-place Chicago Cubs will send their star left-hander, Shota Imanaga, to the mound. He will be opposed by the St. Louis Cardinals’ own veteran ace, Sonny Gray. In a heated rivalry series that has already seen plenty of fireworks, this showdown between two of the best pitchers in the league is the perfect way to decide the winner.

The Cubs’ Offensive Awakening

For the Cubs, Saturday night’s 9-1 victory was a massive sigh of relief and a powerful reminder of just how dangerous their offense can be. After being shut out on Friday and scoring three or fewer runs in six of their previous nine games, their bats finally came to life. The charge was led by Michael Busch, who has punished Cardinals pitching all season, and a host of other contributors, including Matt Shaw, Carson Kelly, and Dansby Swanson, who all had multi-hit games.

“A multiple-run first inning, which I felt was just good, we haven’t been doing that a lot lately,” a relieved manager Craig Counsell said. “We played really good offense, hit a bunch of balls hard tonight, and put a big run number up.” Despite their recent slump, Counsell has never lost faith in his lineup. “I’ll say it again: This is a good offense,” he said. “We’re going to score runs.”

The table below provides a snapshot of two divisional rivals that are locked in a tight battle for playoff positioning. For a full recap of their most recent games, you can check the official MLB game results.

TeamRecordDivision StandingRuns Per GameTeam ERA
Chicago Cubs73-471st in NL Central5.23.90
St. Louis Cardinals65-562nd in NL Central4.54.35

The Imanaga Factor: A Return to Form

The Cubs will look to carry that offensive momentum into Sunday’s game as they back their ace, Shota Imanaga (8-4, 3.12 ERA). The Japanese left-hander has been a revelation for the Cubs this season, but he is coming off a difficult month of July in which he struggled with the home run ball. However, in his first start of August, he looked like his dominant self again, holding the potent Cincinnati Reds to just one run over 6 1/3 innings while striking out seven and walking none. Imanaga has also been historically dominant against the Cardinals, with a 2-0 record and a 2.41 ERA in three career starts, including a five-inning, one-hit shutout performance against them back in June.

Gray’s Return to Form: Re-establishing the Sweeper

While Imanaga has rediscovered his form, the Cardinals’ ace, Sonny Gray (10-5, 4.21 ERA), is on a similar mission. Gray has had an up-and-down season but is coming off his most impressive performance in months. In his last start against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, he was masterful, allowing just one run on one hit over seven brilliant innings. The key, according to Gray, was re-establishing his devastating sweeper, a pitch that had been inconsistent for much of the year.

“I knew it was sharp when Shohei (Ohtani) swung at it as the first batter of the game,” a confident Gray explained. “When I threw that first one… and he swung at it, I knew that was a good thing. Then I felt more comfortable in those moments because I was executing, and I had done the work to force them to swing.” This deep dive into a pitcher’s process is a key topic in our expert betting guide.

The Pitching Matchup: A Deeper Look

Sunday’s game features a fantastic duel between two of the best pitchers in the National League, both of whom are at the top of their game.

PitcherW-L (2025)ERA (2025)Last Start
Shota Imanaga (CHC)8-43.126.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 7 K
Sonny Gray (STL)10-54.217.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 8 K

The scores and odds for this matchup will be incredibly tight. For more in-depth analysis of this and other games, you can view all of our MLB previews. To see who our experts are backing in this premier pitching duel, check out our daily MLB picks. To get access to even more premium content and betting tools, you can register for an account today.