On the evening of May 24, 2024, the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals will clash at Busch Stadium at 8:15 PM under a sky of broken clouds. Leading the Cubs’ pitching squad is Shota Imanaga, carrying an impressive ERA of 0.839, while Miles Mikolas, with a 5.774 ERA, will take the mound for the Cardinals.

The Cubs currently rank 5th in the 2024 NL Central Division with a record of 27 wins against 24 losses, a win rate of 0.530. They are evenly matched in their division with a 5-5 record, although they’ve recently faced a slight dip, securing just 3 victories in their last 10 games and enduring a 2-game losing streak. At home, their record stands at 15-11, while they perform slightly below par on the road with a 12-13 record. In day games, their performance totals 12 wins, facing better outcomes in night games with 15 wins, despite an almost even run differential (218 scored, 219 allowed).

Conversely, the Cardinals hold 9th place in the division with a 23-26 record and a less favorable winning percentage of 0.47. They’ve struggled within their division, scoring only 1 win against 6 losses, yet they’ve shown resilience recently with 8 wins in their last 10 games and a current 3-game winning streak. They have a middling record of 11-12 at home and 12-14 in away games. The team has a noticeable gap in their run statistics, having scored 189 while conceding 232.

As for the betting odds, the game poses an interesting scenario. The point spread is set at 1.5, with an over/under of 7.5. The money line for the away team (Cubs) is at -142, suggesting they are the favorites, while the home team (Cardinals) is at +121, indicating lesser confidence from the bookmakers in their win. These odds reflect the mixed recent form and statistical outputs from both teams, making the game a potentially close and challenging contest.