Weekend Series Preview 7/4-7/6

St. Louis Cardinals (+140) @ Chicago Cubs (-175)

Pick: CUBS -175

Key Stat - Team Slugging Percentage

Friday - Mikolas/Rea - Cubs WIN The Cubs come into this series with the second-best offense in baseball (5.4 runs per game), and they'll face Miles Mikolas, who has been inconsistent this year. The Cubs have a significant power advantage, ranking 4th in home runs, while the Cardinals rank just 19th. Colin Rea just needs to be solid for the Cubs at home, and the offense should provide enough run support to take the opener.

Saturday - Liberatore/Taillon - Cubs WIN The Cardinals will send out lefty Matthew Liberatore, and this is where the Cubs can really do damage. Chicago's offense has been particularly effective against left-handed pitching this season. Jameson Taillon has been a reliable innings-eater for the Cubs, and he'll benefit from facing a Cardinals lineup that has struggled for power. With the offensive matchup tilted heavily in their favor, the Cubs are in a prime spot to win this game and clinch the series.

Sunday - Fedde/Boyd - Cardinals WIN The Cardinals will look to avoid the sweep in the Sunday Night Baseball matchup on ESPN. Erick Fedde takes the mound for St. Louis against the Cubs' lefty, Matthew Boyd. While the Cubs have the overall offensive advantage, Fedde has been a solid pitcher for the Cardinals. In a high-profile national game, I expect the Cardinals' veteran hitters to manufacture just enough runs to salvage a win in the series finale.

Other series worth a look:

• Nationals (+125) over Red Sox (-155)

• Mets (+105) over Yankees (-135)

• Blue Jays (-200) over Angels (+160)