The Chicago Cubs (66-48) face the St. Louis Cardinals (58-58) in the opener of a 3-game set Friday. First pitch from Busch Stadium in St. Louis is set for 8:15 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's MLB odds around the Cubs vs. Cardinals odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Cubs lead 4-3

The Cubs dropped 2 of 3 at home to the Cincinnati Reds, avoiding a sweep with a 6-1 victory Wednesday as -123 favorites as the Under (7.5) hit in all 3 games. DH Seiya Suzuki (2-for-2, 2 RBIs) hit his career-best 27th homer. The Cubs are 11-9 over the last 20 games and have fallen 4 games behind the surging Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Chicago has a 3½-game lead in the Wild Card race.

The Cards took 2 of 3 from the

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