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.

They launched six home runs in the first three innings—the most in franchise history. Michael Busch and Crow-Armstrong each went deep twice in those opening frames, marking the first time two Cubs teammates have each hit two homers within the first three innings of a game.

The Chicago Cubs say starter Jameson Taillon may miss more than a month with a right calf strain CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs starter Jameson Taillon may miss “more than a month” with a right calf strain, manager Craig Counsell said Friday after the team placed the veteran right-hander on the injured list.

All along, the Chicago Cubs expected to add more pitching by the July 31 trade deadline and reinforce their first-place team for a playoff run. But now that Jameson Taillon is sidelined with a strained right calf muscle,

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.