The Chicago Cubs will head east to face off against their divisional foe Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. The matchup will get underway at 7:05 p.m. ET and fans can tune in to WGN to catch the action.
Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates Odds
Oddsmakers are listing Chicago (-115) as the favorite over Pittsburgh (+105). The total is sitting at 8.5 runs and gamblers can wager on the over for -115 or the under for -105. Bettors can also wager on the game’s runline with the most recent odds standing at +130 for the Cubs -1.5 runs and -150 for the Pirates +1.5.
The Pirates are 55-51 straight up (SU) and 52-55 against the spread (ATS). The team has gained 2.1 units for bettors taking the moneyline while earning 4.6 units (ATS). The Cubs, on the other hand, have gone 60-44 SU this year and are 54-51 ATS. Overall, the team’s accumulated 1.1 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 3.2 units ATS.
Pirates games have had an over/under record of 50-49-8 in 2018. Chicago has been a decent under bet with a total record of 49-55-1.
The left-handed Cole Hamels will get the nod for the visiting Cubs. Hamels is 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA and 114 strikeouts. He has yet to face the Pirates this year and did not record a start against them in 2017, either.
The Pirates are putting the ball in the right hand of Nick Kingham (5-5, 4.80 ERA), who’s got 55 strikeouts and 18 walks this season as well as a 1.23 WHIP. Kingham is 0-1 with nine strikeouts and a 3.75 ERA across two starts against Chicago this year.
Chicago’s pitching staff allowed 4.1 runs per game and its starters own a 4.16 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 7.58 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.23, along with a WHIP of 1.40.
Cubs hitters have slashed .265/.348/.422 on their way to 5.0 runs scored per game in 2018, including 4.5 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.8 per game over the team’s last five contests (2-3 SU).
Second baseman Javier Baez and left fielder Albert Almora Jr. have paced Chicago’s offense. Baez is slashing .296/.327/.562 with 21 home runs, 77 RBIs, 65 runs and 19 steals, while Almora Jr. (.307/.344/.421) is up to four homers, 30 RBIs and 50 runs scored.
For the home team, Pittsburgh’s pitchers have given up 4.5 runs per game overall in 2018. Its starting pitching staff has an ERA of 4.21, a WHIP of 1.29 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 7.5. The bullpen has a 4.25 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 10.0 K/9. In 42 divisional games, Pirates starters have an ERA of 3.21 and the bullpen’s ERA is 3.72.
The Pittsburgh hitters are putting up 4.6 runs per contest, including 5.0 per game against divisional foes and 5.0 per game over their last five. The team has a slash-line of .268/.335/.446 over its last five games and is 3-2 SU during that span.
Outfielders Corey Dickerson and Starling Marte have led the charge for the Pirates’ hitters this year. Dickerson is slashing .318/.351/.517 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs and 50 runs scored, while Marte’s line is .289/.335/.497 with 16 homers, 54 RBIs, 57 runs and 25 steals.
The Cubs have lost 7.2 units and are 39-41 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in 38 of those games, as opposed to 41 that’ve gone under in such games. On the other hand, the Pirates have lost 5.3 units and are 12-16 ATS when facing a lefty starter. The over has hit in 17 of those games, compared to 10 that went under the total.
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Pirates, ATS Winner – Pirates, O/U – OVER
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Notes
Betting Trends
The over has hit in just two of Pittsburgh’s last seven games.
Chicago has recorded 20.1 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 16.8 over its last five.
The Cubs have hit nine home runs in their last 10 games, including six over their last five.
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