A Friday afternoon game at Wrigley between the Cardinals and the Cubs? Does it get more classic than that? I’ll save you some time thinking — it does not.
Let’s preview this old school rivalry and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Cardinals vs. Cubs prediction, preview
Are first impressions important? I’m sure Clay Holmes is hoping “no” is the answer to that question. After the Cubs traded for the veteran right-hander at the deadline — giving up a Top 100 prospect, no less — Holmes laid an egg in his first appearance with Chicago, giving up four earned runs over four innings against the lowly Royals. Still, that wasn’t just Holmes’ first start in a Cubs jersey, it was his first MLB start off the IL in nearly three months. I think we can cut him a little slack. In his nine prior to his mid-May injury, Holmes registered a 2.39 ERA and a 3.19 FIP across 52.2 innings. Maybe he’ll be able to rediscover that form in this matinee affair versus the Cardinals.
It is working in Holmes’ favor that St. Louis has not been able to hit at all for the better part of a month. In fact, since the All-Star break, the Cardinals rank 29th in ISO (.102), 25th in wOBA (.291) and 25th in wRC+ (84). Jordan Walker, the reigning Home Run Derby champion, has sort of been the face of these offensive struggles, as the 24-year-old has managed only a single home run over his 104 plate appearances in this span. NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner JJ Wetherholt is also in the midst of a slump. Dating back to the beginning of July, Wetherholt is slashing a putrid .209/.337/.324 with a 94 wRC+. I guess he’s still at least taking his walks. That’s something.
Speaking of recent struggles, Matthew Liberatore will be toeing the rubber opposite of the aforementioned Holmes. The former first-round pick has never really found his footing at the MLB level in a half-decade of service time, but 2026 has been especially bleak, as Liberatore enters Friday’s action in possession of a 5.15 ERA and a 5.00 FIP. His 14th percentile marks in opponent expected batting average (.269) and opponent average exit velocity (90.3) don’t look all that great, either. In his last meeting with the Cubs, Liberatore surrendered eight hits and three earned runs in just 3.2 innings on July 27. I’d expect a similar result this afternoon.
Cardinals vs. Cubs pick, best bet
Best Bet: Cubs -1.5 (+114)
There’s risk in trusting a rusty Clay Holmes, but 2.39 ERA prior to injury gives me some faith. The Cubs should also have little issue giving the RHP run support, as they face Matthew Liberatore and his 5.00 FIP. Chicago leads baseball in wOBA (.353) and wRC+ (125) against left-handed pitchers. Actually, they lead baseball by a wide margin in both.
