The Chicago Cubs will be taking on their divisional rival Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. WGN will televise the matchup and the game gets going at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates Odds
Both teams have equal moneyline odds (-105) and Vegas has the Over/Under for this night game at 8.5 runs (-110 for the over and -110 for the under). The game’s most recent runline odds stand at +140 for betting the Cubs -1.5 runs and -160 for the Pirates +1.5 runs.
The Cubs have gone 71-50 SU this year and are 60-60 against the spread (ATS). They’ve gained 1.1 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 0.0 units ATS. The Pirates, on the other hand, are 61-62 SU and 58-64 ATS. The team has lost 0.7 units for bettors taking the moneyline and 10.3 units ATS.
Pittsburgh games have an over/under record of 58-56-8 in 2018. The Cubs have been a decent under bet with a total record of 54-63-3.
Tyler Chatwood will get the nod for the visiting Cubs. The right-handed Chatwood is 4-5 with a 5.06 ERA and 85 strikeouts. He’s 0-1 with seven strikeouts and a 7.50 ERA against Pittsburgh this year.
The Pirates will put the ball in the right hand of Joe Musgrove (4-7, 3.49 ERA, 1.23 WHIP), who has 62 strikeouts and 20 walks this season. Musgrove is 1-0 with five strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA in one start against Chicago this year.
Pittsburgh’s pitching staff has given up 4.5 runs per game overall this season as a unit. The team’s starting pitching staff has a 4.17 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings. The bullpen has a 4.19 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 9.6 K/9. In 49 divisional games, Pirates starters have an ERA of 3.33 and the bullpen’s ERA is 3.68.
The Pittsburgh hitters have produced 4.5 runs per contest, including 4.7 per game against divisional foes and 1.8 per game over their last five. The team has slashed .225/.291/.281 over its last five games and is 0-5 SU during that stretch.
Outfielders Corey Dickerson and Starling Marte have paced the Pirates’ hitters this year. Dickerson is slashing .302/.333/.480 with 11 home runs, 46 RBIs and 52 runs scored, and Marte’s line is .278/.321/.468 with 17 homers, 57 RBIs, 63 runs and 28 stolen bases.
In the other dugout, Chicago’s pitching staff allowed 4.1 runs per game and its starters own a 4.13 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 7.67 K/9. The bullpen has logged an ERA of 3.29, along with a K-per-9 of 8.84.
The Cubs offense has slashed .263/.344/.418 on its way to 4.8 runs scored per game this season, including 4.4 runs per game against divisional foes and 2.8 per game over the team’s last five contests (4-1 SU).
Chicago’s offense has been sparked by second baseman Javier Baez and first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who have combined to launch 43 home runs. Baez is hitting .290/.322/.566 with 25 home runs, 89 RBIs, 74 runs and 19 stolen bases, while Rizzo (.267/.363/.445) is up to 18 homers, 78 RBIs and 49 runs scored.
The Cubs have lost 3.9 units and are 45-48 ATS when facing a right-handed starting pitcher this season. The over has cashed in 42 of those games, as opposed to 48 that’ve gone under against righty starters. On the other hand, the Pirates have netted 6.2 units and are 43-43 ATS when facing a righty starter. The over’s cashed in 36 of those games, compared to 43 that went under the total.
Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Pirates, ATS Winner – Pirates, O/U – OVER
Betting Trends
- The under has hit in four of Chicago’s last seven games.
- The Pirates have dropped six of their last seven games SU.
- Chicago has posted 17.1 Runs + Hits + Errors per game over its last 10 outings and 16.8 over its last five.
- The Cubs have hit six home runs in their last 10 games, including five over their last five.
