ASA top play on 10* OVER 8 runs Chicago Cubs @ St Louis Cardinals, 8:15 PM ET - This play sets up nicely for a higher scoring game based on current pitching and hitting trends. The Cardinals are 4th in total runs produced this season with 644 in 131 games. In the last 30-days nobody in baseball has scored more than the Cards who have 167 runs in 28 games or nearly 6 runs per game. St Louis is hitting .279 as a team with an .858 OPS which are also the best numbers in the Majors for that same 30-day span. The Cardinals should feast on Cubs starter Adrian Sampson who is 1-4 on the season with a 3.97 ERA and an XERA of 4.48. Sampson has really struggled in his last two starts giving up 6 earned runs on 13 hits in just 6.2 total innings of work. One of those outings was against this same St Louis team that roughed him up for 5 earned runs on 8 hits in a Cards 13-3 win. The Cubs will put up a few runs of their own in this match-up. The Cubs are below average in runs/9 innings on the season at 4.17 (23rd) but they should put up some runs in this game. The Cubs just faced the Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery on August 22nd so they have a much better idea of what he brings to the mound. Montgomery is 7-3 on the season overall (started 3-3 with NY) with a 3.28 ERA. In his last start, Montgomery gave up 5 earned runs on 8 hits against the Braves. In their last ten games the Cubs and their opponents have averaged 9.60 runs per game. Chicago has hit lefties well in their last ten with a .265 average and 4.76 runs/9 innings. The same can be said for the Cardinals games which have averaged 10.30 runs per 9/innings with St Louis hitting .272 against righties and putting up an average of 5.02 runs/9. We expect lots of runs in this game and an Over winner early on.