Cubs vs. Cardinals Prediction and Pick for Friday, June 24 (Cardinals Cruise to NL Central Win)

The 40-32 St. Louis Cardinals host the 26-44 Chicago Cubs tonight at 8:15 PM EST to open up a three-game weekend series.

Andre Pallante makes his fourth start of the year after spending most of the year as a dominant reliever. The 23-year-old rookie has yet to give up more than two runs in a start while amassing a sparkling 1.69 ERA over the season.

Losers of 14 of their last 17, Chicago turns to Kyle Hendricks in desperate need of a win. Hendricks is 2-6 with a 5.43 ERA and struggles with stamina, throwing fewer than six innings in 11 of his 13 starts.

Can Hendricks keep the Cubs competitive or will Pallante continue settling into his new role?

To find the value, let's peak at the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook ahead of this Cubs vs Cardinals series-opening matchup:

Cubs vs Cardinals Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line:

• Cubs +1.5 (-145)
• Cardinals -1.5 (+120)

Moneyline:

• Cubs: +140
• Cardinals: -150

Total:

• 8.5 (Over -120/Under +100)

Cubs vs Cardinals Prediction and Pick

The Cubs are dreadful. Their pitching staff and defense are among the worst in MLB while their lineup is prone to bouts of inconsistency. As a result, they're 3-14 over their last 17 games and have lost six straight as road underdogs by a combined score of 52-11. Yeah, fifty-two to eleven.

Things won't get rosier with Kyle Hendricks on the mound. His career-worst 5.43 expected ERA is the fourth-highest among all qualified pitchers as the Cubs are 1-4 in his last five starts. Just look at his MLB Statcast Pitching Profile and tell me he's the savior of Chicago's disastrous year:

At least his curve spin is good, I guess? The Cardinals are 10th in OPS against right-handed pitchers over the last three weeks and should dominate an overmatched Hendricks. Even if they don't, the Cubs' bullpen has the fourth-worst ERA in MLB and it's only a matter of time before Paul Goldschmidt & company rack up some runs.

Andre Pallante is growing more comfortable with each start, and his 3.55 expected ERA illustrates how well he's performed.

He's in the 94th percentile in barrel percentage and allowed just one run to the Cubs in his first start. I'll back the Cardinals to improve to 8-2 in their last 10 as home favorites in convincing fashion.

Pick: Cardinals -1.5 (+120)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.