Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals Prediction: NL Central Rivals Open Weekend Series
Updated July 9, 2026
The NL Central race is under the spotlight on Friday night as the Chicago Cubs head to Busch Stadium for the start of a key divisional series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Chicago snapped a brutal 10-game skid earlier this week and now tries to build off that result against a Cardinals club that has also struggled lately. Both teams enter the night trying to keep pace with Milwaukee in the division standings, which gives this Cubs vs Cardinals series extra importance before the calendar turns to June.
Shota Imanaga has not looked as dominant as he did during stretches of last season, though his numbers still suggest he can settle into a productive summer run. The left-hander enters Friday with a 4-5 record, a 4.04 ERA, 67 strikeouts, and a 1.07 WHIP across 64.2 innings. His command remains strong, and his ability to limit walks gives Chicago a stable floor in most outings.
The concern for Cubs backers has been the long ball. During the club’s losing streak, Chicago starters struggled badly, and Imanaga was part of that rough stretch. Even so, St. Louis has not consistently punished left-handed pitching this season, and Busch Stadium tends to help pitchers settle in.
Andre Pallante has quietly given St. Louis dependable innings with a 3.76 ERA over 55 innings. He attacks the strike zone and keeps the ball on the ground, though his strikeout rate remains modest. Chicago’s lineup matches up well against pitchers who pitch to contact, especially with hitters like Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, and Seiya Suzuki capable of creating traffic on the bases.
Chicago enters this matchup with the stronger offense. Even during their losing streak, the Cubs continued to draw walks and create opportunities, but poor starting pitching buried them early in games. If Imanaga delivers a steady outing, Chicago has enough lineup depth to pressure the Cardinals' bullpen late. My projections make the Cubs a winner by around two runs, so I'll go with them to open this series with a win.
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