Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs are ready to take on their division rival Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in a Wednesday showdown. The matchup will get going at 7:05 p.m. ET and fans can tune in to WGN to catch the action.
Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates Odds
Sportsbooks have Chicago (-175) as the favorite over Pittsburgh (+165). You can play matchup’s total with current odds sitting at even money (+100) for over 9.5 runs and -120 for under 9.5. This game currently has a runline of Cubs -1.5 (-120) and Pirates +1.5 (+100).
The Pirates are 66-91 straight up (SU) and 74-82 against the spread (ATS). The team has lost 16.2 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 24.8 units ATS. Pittsburgh has covered the spread only once in its last seven games and the total went over in four of those seven. The Cubs, on the other hand, are 82-75 SU and have gone 74-82 ATS. Overall, the club has lost 9.4 units for moneyline bettors and 7.7 units ATS. Chicago has covered the spread only twice over its last seven games and the total has gone under in four of those seven.
Pittsburgh games have an 89-59-8 over/under record in 2019. The Cubs have an over/under record of 71-74-11.
Jon Lester will get the start for the visiting Cubs. The southpaw Lester is 13-10 with a 4.51 ERA and 161 strikeouts. He’s 3-0 with 15 strikeouts and a 3.20 ERA against Pittsburgh this year (four starts).
The Pirates are turning to righty Dario Agrazal (4-5, 5.08 ERA), who has 36 strikeouts and 18 walks as well as a 1.40 WHIP. Agrazal hasn’t faced the Cubs yet this year and did not record any MLB pitching stats in 2018.
Chicago’s pitching staff allowed 4.4 runs per game and its starting pitchers own a 4.14 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 8.94 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 3.91, along with a WHIP of 1.30 and a K/9 of 9.07.
Cubs hitters have slashed .253/.334/.453 on their way to 5.0 runs scored per game this season, including 5.0 runs per game against divisional foes and 3.4 per game over the team’s last five contests (0-5 SU).
Third baseman Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo have paced Chicago’s hitters. Bryant is slashing .282/.382/.521 with 31 home runs, 77 RBIs and 108 runs scored, while Rizzo has a .294 average with 27 homers, 94 RBIs and 89 runs scored.
In the other dugout, Pittsburgh’s pitching staff has yielded 5.7 runs per game overall this season. Its starters have an ERA of 5.46, a WHIP of 1.45 and a strikeouts-per-nine of 8.3. The bullpen has a 4.99 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 9.9 K/9. In 71 divisional games, Pirates starters have an ERA of 5.76 and the bullpen’s ERA is 5.43.
The Pittsburgh offense has put up 4.7 runs per outing, including 4.6 per game against divisional foes and 3.8 per game over its last five. The team has hit .208/.238/.287 over its last five games and is 1-4 SU during that span.
Outfielders Starling Marte and Bryan Reynolds have led the Pirates’ offense this year. Marte is hitting .295/.342/.503 with 23 home runs, 82 RBIs, 97 runs and 25 stolen bases, and the line for Reynolds stands at .314/.378/.504 with 16 homers, 68 RBIs and 83 runs.
The Cubs have lost 1.9 units and are 61-63 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this year. The over has cashed in 58 of those games, as opposed to 57 that’ve hit the under against righty starters. On the other hand, the Pirates have lost 10.4 units and are 17-24 ATS when facing a left-handed starting pitcher. The over has hit in 28 of those games, as opposed to 12 that’ve cashed the under.
Cubs vs. Pirates Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Cubs, ATS Winner – Cubs, O/U – OVER
Betting Notes
- Chicago has tallied 16 extra-base hits over its last five outings. Pittsburgh has nine XBH over its last five.
- Pittsburgh has recorded 20.7 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 18.6 over its last five.
- The Cubs have hit 16 home runs in their last 10 games. The Pirates have hit two over their last 10.
- The Cubs have a total OPS of .787 this season and an OPS of .797 against right-handed pitchers. The Pirates’ OPS sits at .745 overall and .764 against righties.
