The Cubs are home and have the better starting pitcher going with Dakota Hudson facing Marcus Stroman. So I'll take a plus price on the Cubs.

St. Louis is 40-21 at home, but has a losing road record. The Cubs have been playing well. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Chicago is 11-5 in its last 16 games at Wrigley Field.

This is the finale of a rare five-game series. Each team has won twice.

Hudson is not in good form. He's pitched 114 1/3 innings this season. Hudson pitched fewer than 48 innings combined the past two years. So perhaps he's hitting the wall as he's allowed 15 runs in his last 24 1/3 innings, including nine runs during his past 13 1/3 innings. He has a 6.08 August ERA. Hudson hasn't pitched well on the road all season with a 2-4 mark and 5.34 ERA.

Stroman, by contrast, is in a good groove giving up two earned runs in his past two starts spanning 12 1/3 innings. Stroman has limited six of his last eight opponents to two or fewer runs.