Cardinals at Cubs NLDS Game 4 MLB Predictions and Picks

The Chicago Cubs expectedly won and delivered an OVER total their NLDS Game 3 matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals, and they now have a chance to seal their qualification to the NLCS with another win in Tuesday’s MLB betting odds. Will they grab the opportunity in front of their home supporters in this Game 4 showdown, or will the Cardinals force a Game 5 by upsetting their hosts? Find out as we give a quick baseball betting breakdown of this all-important clash.

Cubs set MLB postseason home run record in win vs. Cardinals http://t.co/eVSRz2WVbM pic.twitter.com/kfbxAaF5lH

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 13, 2015

A In Depth Analysis at Cardinals at Cubs NLDS Game 4 MLB Predictions and Picks

Starting Pitchers:  John Lackey vs. Jason Hammel Series Standing: Chicago leads the series 2-1 Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 Time: 4:37 PM ET TV: TBS MLB Lines: St Louis (+104), Chicago (-114), OVER/UNDER 7.5 Chicago’s Jake Arrieta was not at his best of starts in Game 3, but he got some much-needed support from his offense, which allowed him to lead the Cubs to a crucial 8-2 win over the Cardinals on Monday night. Toeing the rubber this Tuesday in an effort to finish the job for Chicago will be Jason Hammel, who is 10-7 with a 3.74 ERA. Hammel’s last start came in the 5-3 triumph at Cincinnati on October 1, a game in which he solidly contributed by pitching five scoreless innings. Unfortunately for him, he is just 2-3 with a worrying 5.97 ERA and .289 opponents’ batting average in his 7 career starts against St. Louis. His production must therefore be refined this Tuesday, along with a good support system from Chicago’s MLB-leading offense in the postseason games. On the opposite end, John Lackey (13-10, 2.77 ERA) will be the man to counter Hammel and put some clamps on the Cubs’ dangerous-looking offense. After posting a record six postseason home runs in yesterday’s win, Chicago’s offense certainly guarantees that Lackey will have his hands full tonight. Fortunately for St. Louis supporters, the 36-year-old star pitcher is 3-1 with a remarkable 1.94 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across six career starts against Chicago. Not to mention, Lackey was astounding on the mound last Friday, where he logged in 7 1/3 scoreless innings along with five strikeouts to help the Cards to an emphatic 4-0 Game 1 win. If the righty brings that sort of performance in Wrigley Field tonight, the series could easily be going back to the Busch Stadium for the series-deciding Game 5. Needless to say, St. Louis offense will also need to get going early in the game rather than leaving until late, like they’ve detrimentally done in their last two games. Obviously, the talent is there, and after posting six runs in yesterday’s loss against Arrieta and Co., they should be motivated for even a bigger performance against Hammel, who isn’t that terrorizing or solid with his throws.

Key Betting Trends

•    St. Louis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games •    Chicago is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games •    St. Louis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 road games •    Chicago is 16-6 SU in its last 22 home games •    St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 overall games against the Cubs •    Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 home games against St. Louis •    The total has gone OVER in 9 of St. Louis’ last 12 overall games against the Cubs •    The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago’s last 7 home games against St. Louis

Game Prediction

Lackey explodes for another big game, helping the Cards to edge out a close win plus cover, as both teams score enough runs to take the total OVER.