Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs will head east to PNC Park to face off against their divisional foe Pittsburgh Pirates. The game gets underway 7:05 p.m. ET and NBC Sports Chicago will broadcast the matchup.
Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates Odds
Sportsbooks have Pittsburgh (+170) as the underdog to Chicago (-180). You can play matchup’s total with current odds listed at -110 for over 9 runs and -110 for under 9. This game currently has a runline of Cubs -1.5 (-125) and Pirates +1.5 (+105).
The Pirates are 65-91 straight up (SU) and 74-82 against the spread (ATS). The team’s lost 16.2 units for moneyline bettors and 24.8 units ATS. The Cubs have gone 82-74 SU this year and are 74-82 ATS. Overall, the team’s lost 9.4 units for moneyline bettors and 7.7 units ATS.
Pirates games have had an over/under record of 89-59-8 in 2019. Chicago has an over/under record of 71-74-11.
Kyle Hendricks is getting the start for the visiting Cubs. The right-handed Hendricks is 11-9 with a 3.37 ERA and 145 strikeouts. He’s 1-1 with seven strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA against Pittsburgh this year (three starts).
The Pirates will deploy righty Mitch Keller (1-5, 7.74 ERA) to the mound. Keller has 58 punchouts and 14 walks as well as a 1.84 WHIP. Keller is 0-1 with five strikeouts and a 12.46 ERA in one start against Chicago this year.
Chicago’s pitchers have allowed 4.3 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 4.11 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 8.95 K/9. The bullpen has an ERA of 3.89, along with a K-per-9 of 9.07.
Cubs hitters have slashed .253/.334/.454 on their way to 5.1 runs scored per game in 2019, including 5.1 runs per game against divisional foes and 3.4 per game over the team’s last five outings (0-5 SU).
Third baseman Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo continue to lead Chicago’s hitters. Bryant is hitting .282/.382/.521 with 31 home runs, 77 RBIs and 108 runs scored, while Rizzo is hitting .294 with 27 homers, 94 RBIs and 89 runs scored.
For the home team, Pittsburgh’s pitchers have allowed 5.7 runs per game overall in 2019. The team’s starters have a 5.48 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 5.01 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 9.9 K/9. In 70 games against divisional opponents, Pirates starters have an ERA of 5.82 and the bullpen’s ERA is 5.47.
Pittsburgh’s offense has produced 4.7 runs per outing, including 4.5 per game against divisional foes and 2.2 per game over its last five. The team has hit .192/.232/.262 over its last five matchups and is 0-5 SU during that span.
The Pirates’ batters have been led by outfielders Starling Marte and Bryan Reynolds. Marte is slashing .295/.342/.503 with 23 home runs, 82 RBIs, 97 runs and 25 stolen bases, while Reynolds has produced a line of .318/.381/.509 with 16 homers, 67 RBIs and 83 runs.
The Cubs have lost 1.9 units and are 61-63 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this season. The over has cashed in 58 of those games, compared to 57 that’ve hit the under in such games. On the other hand, the Pirates have lost 5.7 units and are 57-58 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher. The over’s hit in 61 of those games, compared to 47 which went under the total.
Cubs vs. Pirates Free MLB Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cubs, ATS Winner – Cubs, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends
- The over has cashed in three of Chicago’s last seven outings.
- Chicago fielders have three errors over the last five games, compared to seven errors for Pittsburgh over its last five.
- The Cubs have hit 21 home runs in their last 10 games. The Pirates have hit two over their last 10.
- The Cubs have an OPS of .788 this season and an OPS of .797 against right-handed pitchers. The Pirates’ OPS sits at .746 overall and .764 against righties.
