MLB baseball action gets underway with the Chicago Cubs facing the St. Louis Cardinals in a showdown of division rivals.

The St. Louis Cardinals (47-41) visit the Chicago Cubs (52-35) Friday in the opener of a 3-game series. First pitch from Wrigley Field is set for 2:20 p.m. ET (Apple TV+). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's MLB odds around the Cardinals vs. Cubs odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.

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The Cubs set a franchise record with eight home runs in an 11-3 rout of the Reds on Friday, including three from first baseman Michael Busch.

Michael Busch hit three home runs, Pete Crow-Armstrong connected twice and the Chicago Cubs went deep a franchise-record eight times in pounding the St. Louis Cardinals 11-3 for their fourth straight

One of the most electric moments of the series turned sour quickly when Pete Crow-Armstrong hit an RBI triple Wednesday, only to overrun the base.

Matt Shaw hit a walk-off sac fly in the 10th inning to help the Cubs beat the Cleveland Guardians on July 3 to complete a 3-game sweep in Chicago.

Matt Shaw’s deep sacrifice fly to center scored Nico Hoerner from third in the 10th inning, giving the Chicago Cubs a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians

Pregame analysis and predictions of the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs MLB game to be played on July 4, 2025 on ESPN.

Brendan Donovan and the Cardinals take on Michael Busch and the Cubs on July 4, 2025. More From This Game; St. Louis Cardinals; Chicago Cubs; game recap; Apple News; TuneIn daily