All 16 National League teams are in action tonight under the lights. The Cubs and Cardinals will start their series tonight with first place in the NL Central going to the winner. Also, the Mets head out west to take on the red-hot Diamondbacks.

**Cubs at Cardinals**

--Most books are listing St. Louis (18-11, +495) as a minus 120 home favorite. The total is 8 ½ flat (minus 110 either way). Bettors can get super-generous odds of plus 170 (risk $100 to win $170) for backing the Cardinals on the run line (minus 1 ½ runs).

--Chicago (17-11, +309) fell one-half game back of the division-leading Cardinals when Kerry Wood blew a save chance Thursday. Milwaukee captured a 4-3 win as a plus 135 underdog thanks to a three-run explosion off Wood in the top of the ninth.

--Tony Larussa will give the starting nod to Adam Wainright (3-1, 2.79 ERA) in this spot. The right-hander has been awful against the Cubs, posting a 0-3 record and 7.50 ERA in four career starts. Wainwright has been money at home this year with a 3-0 record and 2.19 ERA.

--Rich Hill (1-0, 3.79) has a pair of no-decisions and 5.63 ERA in two road starts this season. The southpaw is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in three lifetime starts against St. Louis.

--St. Louis owns a 12-6 home record compared to Chicago’s 6-5 mark on the road. The Cardinals are 5-4 against left-handed pitching.

--Cubs slugger Alfonso Soriano came off the disabled list Thursday, but he went 0-for-4 against the Brewers. Soriano is hitting just .164 through 64 at-bats.

--The 'under' is 11-9 in St. Louis home games, but the 'over' is 8-6 for the Cubs in their road games.

--WGN will provide television coverage for the first pitch at 8:15 p.m. Eastern.

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**Mets at Diamondbacks**

--Most spots are listing Arizona (20-8, +1027) as a minus 125 favorite with a total of nine ‘over’ (minus 120). Gamblers can back the D-backs on the run line for a plus 170 return.

--Bob Melvin’s team was off Thursday after taking the rubber game of the Houston series on Wednesday. The D-backs beat the Astros 8-7 despite trailing by four runs at one point. In the sixth, Melvin turned to Micah Owings as a pinch hitter with a runner on and two outs. Owings belted a two-run homer to tie the game.

--Fresh off his heroics at the plate, Owings (4-0, 3.48) will toe the slab Friday in the series opener against the Mets. The right-hander has only faced New York once, giving up three earned runs in six innings of a no-decision.

--New York (14-12, -156) is in a second-place tie with Florida in the National League East. Both teams trail division-leading Philadelphia by one-half game.

--John Maine (2-2, 3.58) is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in a pair of career starts against Arizona. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 5.40 in a pair of home starts this season.

--Arizona is threatening to run away with the NL West early. The D-backs are five games in front of the second-place Dodgers.

--Arizona is 11-3 at home, while New York is 5-7 in its road games.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Dodgers RHP Brad Penny will get the ball tonight against the Rockies. The hard-throwing righty has a 13-2 record and 2.97 career ERA vs. Colorado. Joe Torre’s team has won six in a row.

--Colorado will counter Penny with LHP Jeff Francis, who is 4-1 with a 2.64 ERA in 10 lifetime starts against the Dodgers. L.A. is 6-3 in nine previous games against southpaws.

--The 'over' is an MLB-best 23-10 in Pittsburgh games.

--There are only two NL teams showing a winning record for the 'under,' Houston (17-16) and Atlanta (16-14).

--The Braves are winless in nine one-run games this season. They return home tonight in hopes of snapping a four-game losing streak. Tim Hudson (3-2, 3.74) will get the ball as a minus 135 favorite against the Reds, who will go with Edinson Volquez (4-0, 1.23).

-Florida was glad to see the Dodgers leave South Florida after they swept the Fish in a three-game set. The Marlins hope Mark Hendrickson (4-1, 3.68) can pick up his fifth win when he takes the mound tonight against San Diego. The Padres are an abysmal 2-6 against lefties.

Brian Edwards can be reached at briane@vegasinsider.com.