On the evening of August 1, 2024, the St. Louis Cardinals will go head-to-head with the Chicago Cubs at the iconic Wrigley Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:05 PM under conditions expected to include light rain. Representing the Cardinals on the mound will be Sonny Gray, who enters the game with an ERA of 3.788. His counterpart from the Cubs, Shota Imanaga, boasts a slightly superior ERA of 2.954.

Currently, in the NL Central Division standings of 2024, the Cardinals find themselves in the 8th slot with a record of 56-52, reflecting a winning percentage of 0.52. They hold a balanced divisional record of 16-16. Their recent performance has shown resilience, with five wins in the last ten matches and a current winning streak of two games. Overall, the Cardinals have recorded 29 wins at home and 27 on the road. With day and night game wins standing at 26 and 30, respectively, they have scored 454 runs while conceding 489.

The Chicago Cubs, on the other hand, rank 12th in the division, holding a record of 52-58 which leads to a 0.47 winning percentage. Positioned 5th within the division, they have a 14-25 divisional record. Their season echoes a similar pattern of results with five wins over their last ten games and a recently notched win. At home, they’ve secured 27 victories and faced 33 losses on the road. With a near-even split between day (25 wins) and night games (27 wins), they’ve accumulated 457 runs, conceding slightly more at 464.

Turning to the odds for this matchup, the point spread is set at 1.5 and the over/under total is pinned at 8.0. For money line bets, the Cubs are listed at -114 to seize the win at home, indicating slight favoritism in this close contest, while the Cardinals stand at -104, suggesting nearly even odds for both teams. This tight betting landscape anticipates a closely contested match, reflecting the closely matched seasonal performances and pitching prowess slated for this encounter.