This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
MLB Same Game Bets: Expert Bets and Player Props for Cubs vs. Cardinals, July 27
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Chicago Cubs 
vs. St. Louis Cardinals 
The outcome of this rivalry match on Thursday could have Trade Deadline-altering decisions, especially for the Chicago Cubs. Some of the Cubs more notable players, such as Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger, have had their names bandied about the rumor mill.
Chicago is just one game behind .500 (50-51) and only 4.5 games behind a potential Wild Card spot. With a loss on Thursday, do the Cubs become sellers? With a win do they become buyers? Let's take a look at this potentially season-altering contest.
Chicago sends Justin Steele to the bump, and Steele is coming off a solid outing against these St. Louis Cardinals on July 21st, recording 6.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs, and striking out nine.
Steele continues his strong 2023 season, currently holding the MLB's fifth-best ERA of 2.95, only Blake Snell, Nathan Eovaldi, Gerrit Cole, and Shane McClanahan have bested the Cubs' lefthander. Steele has also allowed only six home runs in 103.2 innings, just one of three pitchers in the National League to allow less than 10 home runs with 100 or more innings pitched, joining Alex Cobb (8) and teammate Marcus Stroman (8).
Miles Mikolas will be Steele's mound opponent, and Mikolas has been up and down all season long. While his 4.33 ERA may not scream awful, Mikolas has been pretty bad in his last two outings, allowing 18 hits and eight runs in his last 11 innings; the Cubs tagging him for 11 hits and five runs in five innings in his previous outing on July 22nd.
Mikolas has also allowed a career-worst .279 opponent batting average to this point and has recorded a 1.31 WHIP, his worst WHIP since he was a Texas Ranger in 2014; right before he signed a deal with the Yomiuri Giants in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. In short, Mikolas has not been his dependable self in 2023.
One man that has clipped Mikolas in the past is Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner. Hoerner is 9-for-22 (.409) against the Cardinals righthander, and Hoerner is on a heater, going 11-for-27 (.407) in his last seven games. If Hoerner is smacking every pitcher he faces, he should find more success on Thursday against a pitcher he has clubbed in the past.
Hoerner's double play partner, shortstop Dansby Swanson, has also been putting the ball on the barrell more often recently. Swanson is 11-for-29 (.379) in his last seven games, which is a huge boost to this Chicago lineup. Swanson is 6-for-17 (.353) in his career against Mikolas.
Both of these bullpens have been iffy. The Cubs bullpen has posted a 4.46 ERA since July 1st, while the Cards bullpen has recorded an ERA of 5.40 in the same time. It appears that both of these teams came into the season with unsettled bullpen roles and would figure it out as the season went on. Well, they're both still trying to figure it out. In the meantime, they'll probably continue to give up runs. No matter how deep in the game Steele and Mikolas go, there will be some runs scored in this one, thanks to the bullpens.
If Chicago's decision to become buyers or sellers relies on this game, I have to back the Cubs. Hopefully, this bet isn't lost to an eighth-inning homer from Lars Nootbaar off Michael Fulmer. If that happens, I'll lose my bet and the Cubs could lose a player like Marcus Stroman to the Baltimore Orioles or something.
MLB Best Bets for Cubs vs. Cardinals
- Chicago Cubs -1.5 (+140 FanDuel)
- OVER 9 Runs (-115 FanDuel)
- Nico Hoerner OVER 1.5 Hits (+140 FanDuel)
- Dansby Swanson OVER 0.5 RBI (+125 FanDuel)
