Sports Betting Weekend: Cubs set for Cards

The Chicago Cubs' hot streak continues as they get ready for a four-game series with their top rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, this weekend.

The Cubs have won nine straight games and 12 of their last 13 heading into Thursday’s series opener. The Cardinals are 4-7 in their last 11 games as they try to hold onto one of the two Wild Card spots in the National League.

In nine previous games this season between Chicago and St. Louis the Cardinals have a slight edge at 5-4. However, the last time they met up in June the Cubs swept the three-game series.

In the AL this weekend the stumbling Detroit Tigers could be in trouble when they visit the Texas Rangers.

The Tigers have hit the skids lately having dropped four straight. Before that they had won 10 of their last 11 games. Trying to turn things around against Texas may be difficult, as the Rangers are rolling again and have won five straight. The Rangers are also 3-0 against Detroit this season, have won five straight against them overall, and are 8-1 in their last nine matchups.

Sticking in the American League the Houston Astros will try and right the ship this weekend when they head north to battle the Toronto Blue Jays.

Houston has struggled mightily lately with only four wins in its last 15 games. That includes losing three of four against Toronto in Houston earlier this month. Including that series the Blue Jays are 6-1 in their last seven versus Houston and they’re also 6-1 in their last seven home games against the Astros.

Finally, Week 1 of the NFL preseason continues this weekend with 10 games on the schedule.

Highlighting Friday night’s schedule is the Detroit Lions at the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are a 3-point favorite at online sportsbook Bovada, but they’re dreadful in the preseason at 2-11 straight up and against the spread in their last 13 outings. Detroit is 8-2 SU and ATS in their last 10 preseason games and they’ve posted six straight UNDER results for totals bettors.

On Saturday the Rams play their first game as the Los Angeles Rams in more than two decades. They face the Dallas Cowboys as a 4.5-point home favorite at Bovada. Both sides have been terrible in the preseason in recent years; Dallas is 1-8 SU and 2-7 ATS in their last nine, while the Rams are 2-10 SU and ATS in their last 12.