The Sunday Night Baseball telecast often highlights one of the more compelling matchups in the MLB, and a contest between a pair of long-standing adversaries should certainly maintain that standard this evening. The St. Louis Cardinals are set to welcome the Chicago Cubs for the deciding game of a three-game set on Sunday, with Shota Imanaga facing off against Sonny Gray on the mound. The Cardinals (59-59) secured a 5-0 victory in the series opener on Friday, before the Cubs (67-49) retaliated with a 9-1 triumph on Saturday in Game 2.
As it stands, current odds for the Cardinals versus Cubs game favor Chicago at -129, while St. Louis is listed as the underdog at +108. The projected total for combined runs is 7.5, and the game is slated to commence at 7:10 p.m. ET. Before settling on any Cubs versus Cardinals selections, be sure to consult the MLB betting forecasts from SportsLine’s sophisticated predictive model.
The SportsLine Projection Model runs 10,000 simulations of each MLB game. It started Week 20 of the 2025 MLB season with a record of 28-23 on its highest-rated MLB money-line selections. It has demonstrated particular skill in predicting home run props this season, yielding close to 50 units in profit. Those who have been consistently following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have realized substantial gains. Also, examine the model’s assessments for Twins vs. Royals and its leading MLB player props for Sunday.
Here are the model’s recommended wagers for Cardinals vs. Cubs on Sunday:
- Cubs to prevail (-129)
- Sonny Gray to concede over 2.5 earned runs (+113)
Cubs to prevail (-129)
Imanaga carries an 8-4 record for the season, accompanied by a 3.12 ERA and 70 strikeouts across 89 1/3 innings pitched. He is coming off a notable performance against the Reds, where he allowed just a single run and recorded seven strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings, resulting in a no-decision. He also pitched five shutout innings, conceding only one hit, to secure a win against the Cardinals on June 26 in his first appearance following a nearly six-week absence due to a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, the Chicago offense erupted for nine runs and 13 hits the previous day, and the predictive model assigns a 62% probability of the Cubs winning on Sunday.
Sonny Gray to concede over 2.5 earned runs (+116)
Gray, a three-time MLB all-star, is coming off what could be considered one of his strongest starts of the year, limiting the potent Dodgers offense to a single earned run across seven innings while accumulating eight strikeouts in a 3-2 victory. However, he had previously struggled, giving up 17 earned runs over his preceding three appearances (13 1/3 innings), and opponents have a .272 batting average against him when he pitches at home, compared to .240 on the road. The over outcome has been realized in four of his last five starts, and the model anticipates that he will surrender an average of 3.0 earned runs this evening.
Seeking Additional MLB Selections for Sunday?
The model’s MLB predictions for Cubs versus Cardinals have been presented. You can also access every MLB selection from leading expert Bruce Marshall, whose picks have yielded nearly 14 units in profit over his last 168 MLB recommendations.
