Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Preview
The forecast for Wednesday’s Pirates vs. Cubs matchup calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 80s. This one is getting started at 7:40 PM ET from Wrigley Field in Chicago, and the Cubs are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -192. The money line odds for a Pirates win are at +158, and they are 5th in the NL Central with a record of 65-73.
Shota Imanaga is starting for the Cubs, and he is facing off against Domingo German for the Pirates. Chicago is 2nd in the NL Central, and they will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak.
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Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates Trends and Key Stats
- 3-2 is the record of Pirates in their last five road games. They have also gone 3-2 vs. the runline.
- Conversely, the Cubs have achieved a 5-0 (SU) record and 4-1 record in their last five home games.
- The Cubs have a straight-up record of 8-2 in their last ten games as the favorite, and a 7-3 record vs. the runline.
- When playing as the underdog, the Pirates have won 4-6 of their previous ten games straight-up, while going 5-5 against the runline.
Pittsburgh cruised to a 5-0 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a huge 7th inning, scoring three of their five runs. As for the Cubs, they had their best chance to score in the 5th, but left the bases loaded. Heading into the game, the Pirates were favored at -122 on the money line.
Paul Skenes started for the Pirates and picked up the win, going five innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued four walks. On the other side, Kyle Hendricks got the start for the Cubs and took the loss, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work.
Jared Triolo was the only player in the game to homer, going 1/4 with three RBIs. Nick Gonzales also had a two-hit game for the Pirates, scoring a run and driving in a run.
Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction
Pittsburgh is 65-73 overall and trail the Brewers by 15.5 games in the NL Central. The Pirates have gone 22-19 in divisional games this year. They have won two straight games and are 4-6 across their last 10. So far, they have gone 32-36 at home and have been just above .500 at 33-37 on the road.
As the road underdog, the Pirates are 22-31 this year and are 37-49 as the underdog overall. Pittsburgh has been good as the favorite, going 28-24 this year, and they are 17-21-5 in series this year.
When the Pirates are on the road, they are a good bet to cover the run line, as they are 43-27 this season. They have covered the run line in two straight road games and are 57-29 against the run line as an underdog. They have an average run margin of -0.3 runs per game this season, but that number drops to -0.0 runs per game on the road.
The Pirates have been involved in high-scoring games this season, with a combined run average of 8.7 runs per game. Their over/under record is 67-69, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. When the line has been set at 8 runs, their over/under record is 14-15. Overall, 50.7% of their games have had over/under lines set at more than 8 runs.
Domingo Germán has made just one start for the Pirates this season, and he finished with a no-decision in that outing. Against the Guardians on August 30th, he went three innings out of the bullpen, giving up two earned runs, four hits, and one home run. In his lone start, Germán had a quality outing, going six innings vs. the Rangers and not giving up a run. Looking at his overall numbers, Germán has a WHIP of 1.58 and an ERA of 6.11. Opposing batters are hitting .213 this season off Germán. Per nine innings, he has 7.64 strikeouts and 6.11 walks.
So far this season, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, the Pirates are batting just .236 and are 21st in the league in home runs. However, they do have two hitters with at least 19 homers, led by Bryan Reynolds, who is 15th in the league with 22 homers.
Reynolds has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 11/39 in his last 10 games with three homers. Oneil Cruz is also swinging a hot bat, hitting .333 in his last 10 games. Currently, Grandal, Reynolds, and Kiner-Falefa are all on hitting streaks.
With their record at 71-68, the Cubs are 10 games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. The Cubs have dropped two straight games, and this includes losing the first two games of their series vs. the Pirates. So far, they have gone just 20-28 against other NL Central teams.
At home, the Cubs are 36-31 this season and 35-37 on the road. Chicago has won three straight series, and their overall series record is 20-20-3 this year. As the home favorite, the Cubs are 23-23 and 37-33 as the favorite overall. They have gone 34-35 as the underdog.
Chicago has been a solid run line bet on the road this season, going 43-29 against the run line away from Wrigley Field. However, the Cubs have struggled to cover the run line at home, going just 25-42. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 46-23 against the run line in those games.
The Chicago Cubs are at home today against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The over/under line for the game is set at 8 runs. The Cubs’ games have averaged 8.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 64-70 overall. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, their record is 9-16-1. So far this season, 49.6% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8 runs or higher.
Shota Imanaga gets the start for the Cubs today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win. Against the Nationals on August 30th, Imanaga went 6 innings, giving up 3 earned runs, and he finished with 8 strikeouts. Looking back over his last three outings, Imanaga has been pretty solid, going 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA. For the season, he has made 25 starts, and opponents are batting .229 this year. Imanaga’s record for the season is 11-3, and his ERA is 3.14.
For the season, the Cubs are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 5 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting .240, which is 15th in the league, and are also 17th in home runs. Collectively, they have the 8th best on-base percentage in the league.
Over his last five games, Cody Bellinger is just 4/20, but he does have two runs and an RBI in that stretch. Dansby Swanson has been hot of late for the Cubs, going 9/21 with five runs and four RBIs. Swanson is also on a five-game hitting streak. Ian Happ and Isaac Paredes are 1-2 on the team in home runs, with 23 and 19, respectively.
Our predicted final score for this Cubs vs. Pirates matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Cubs. However, with the Cubs being -192 on the money line, we would recommend taking the over, as the line is sitting at 8 runs.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, Shota Imanaga has a good chance to pick up a win, and we have him finishing with six strikeouts. As for Domingo German, he is predicted to finish with seven strikeouts, which is eighth best among starters.
Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Tips
- Take the Cubs on the moneyline
- On the run line we like the Pirates (+1.5)
- Projecting a combined 9 runs, we like the over
Chicago Cubs Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Yency Almonte | Out | Shoulder |
| Colten Brewer | Out | Hand |
| Justin Steele | Questionable | Elbow |
| Adbert Alzolay | Out | Forearm |
| Julian Merryweather | Out | Knee |
| Nick Madrigal | Out | Finger |
| Ben Brown | Out | Neck |
| Hayden Wesneski | Out | Forearm |
| Luke Little | Out | Shoulder |
Pittsburgh Pirates Injury Report
| Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Johan Oviedo | Out | Elbow |
| Marco Gonzales | Out | Forearm |
| Ke’Bryan Hayes | Out | Back |
| Ben Heller | Out | Shoulder |
| Daulton Jefferies | Out | Elbow |
| Joey Bart | Out | Hamstring |
| Dauri Moreta | Out | Elbow |
| Hunter Stratton | Out | Knee |
| Endy Rodríguez | Out | Elbow |
