The Pittsburgh Pirates (64-73) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (71-67) on Tuesday, September 3rd. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MARQ. The Pirates are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cubs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pirates. First pitch is set for 6:40 CT.
Pirates vs. Cubs Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cubs (+107)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 6.5 Runs
- The Cubs have scored an average of 9.2 runs per game in their last 5 home games.
- The Cubs have won 8 of their last 10 games.
- The Cubs have a 6-1 record against the Pirates in their last 7 head-to-head matchups.
- The Cubs have a home record of 36-30, while the Pirates have an away record of 32-37.
- The Cubs have outscored the Pirates 41-25 in their last 5 head-to-head games.
Pirates vs Cubs
Pittsburgh rallied for four runs in the 8th inning in the most recent game of this Pirates vs. Cubs series. The Pirates scored two runs in the 1st inning but didn’t score another run until putting up four in the top of the 8th, picking up a 5-3 win. Heading into the game, the Pirates were at +128 on the money line.
Jared Jones started for the Pirates and went 6 1/3 innings, giving up three runs and striking out four. He picked up a win in the game, while Dennis Santana got the save. Jameson Taillon had a good outing for the Cubs, going seven innings and striking out three.
Pittsburgh’s offense was led by Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen, as they were the only two Pirates hitters to have more than one hit. Reynolds, Nick Gonzales, and Dansby Swanson each homered for the Pirates.
When favored, the Pirates have a 27-24 straight-up record, but as underdogs, they are 37-49. Against the run line, they have a 76-61 record, including a 42-27 mark on the road and a 57-29 record as underdogs. The average run total in their games this season is 8.8 runs, and their over/under record is 67-68.
Pittsburgh is currently in 5th place in the NL Central, one game behind the Reds. They have an overall series record of 17-21-5 and have lost two straight series. The Pirates’ overall record is 64-73, and they are 16.5 games behind the Brewers in the division.
Paul Skenes Gets The Start For The Pirates
Pittsburgh is sending right-hander Paul Skenes to the mound today vs. the Cubs. He has made 18 starts this year and has a record of 8-2 with an ERA of 2.23. Skenes’ WHIP for the season is .95, and opponents are batting .195 this year. In his 18 appearances, he has turned in 13 quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Skenes finished with a no-decision vs. the Cubs, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ most consistent hitter this season, batting .282 with a team-leading 22 homers and 77 RBIs. He has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/24 in his last six games. Oneil Cruz has also been swinging the bat well, going 10/26 in his last six games. Andrew McCutchen has also been hot of late, going 4/12 in his last three games, including two homers.
As a team, 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. Overall, the Pirates are 22nd in home runs and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of strikeouts per game.
Chicago has a 71-67 record and is 2nd in the NL Central, ten games behind the Brewers. The Cubs have won five straight series and are 8-2 in their last ten games. Their average run margin in wins is +3.7, and in losses, it is -3.2.
As underdogs, the Cubs have a 46-22 record, but as favorites, they are 22-48. The over/under line for today’s game is 6.5 runs, lower than their season average of 8.8 runs per game. The over has hit in their last two games.
Kyle Hendricks Gets The Start For The Cubs
The Cubs are starting right-hander Kyle Hendricks vs. the Pirates today, and he comes into the game with a record of 3-10 and an ERA of 6.75. Hendricks has made 19 starts this year and has pitched much better on the road, with an ERA of 9.44 compared to 5.78 at home. He has made three quality starts this year and is averaging 6.05 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Hendricks finished with a no-decision, giving up six earned runs in 1 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without taking the loss.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Over his last eight games, Ian Happ has been on fire for the Cubs, going 15/35 (.429) with eight RBIs. For the season, he is the Cubs’ leader in RBIs with 79 and has 23 homers, which is 14th in the MLB. Nico Hoerner is currently on a nine-game hitting streak and is batting .259 for the season with five homers. Seiya Suzuki is also near the top of the Cubs’ home run leaderboard, as he has 19 homers and is batting .275.
As a team, the Cubs are averaging 4.6 runs per game, and they have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are 13th in team batting average and have the 13th best OPS in the league. Chicago comes into the game as the league’s 16th-ranked home run hitting team.
Pirates vs Cubs Prediction
Our pick for today’s Pirates vs. Cubs matchup is to take the Cubs on the money line at +107. We have the Cubs winning this one by a final score of 5-4. With the over/under sitting at 6.5 runs, there isn’t a lot of room for error, and we are sticking with the Cubs to pick up the win.
Looking at today’s starters, we have Paul Skenes finishing with eight strikeouts, which is the third-best among today’s starters. As for Kyle Hendricks, we have him finishing with four K’s, which is the lowest for today’s starters.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:September 3, 2024 Cubs, Pirates