The Chicago Cubs (67-66) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (62-70) on Wednesday, August 28th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on SN PT. The Cubs are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Cubs. First pitch is set for 11:35 CT.
Cubs vs. Pirates Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Pirates (-166)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8 Runs
- The Pirates have scored 5 or more runs in 6 of their last 10 home games.
- The Pirates have won 4 of their last 6 home games.
- The Pirates have a higher home win percentage (32-35) compared to the Cubs’ away win percentage (31-37).
- The Pirates have outscored the Cubs 22-20 in their last 5 head-to-head matchups.
- The Cubs have lost 6 of their last 10 games overall.
Cubs vs Pirates
Chicago cruised to a 9-5 win over the Pirates in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 4th inning, scoring five of their nine runs. As for the Pirates, they scored their final two runs in the 9th. Heading into the game, the Cubs were favored at -123 on the money line.
Pittsburgh wasted a good outing from Jared Jones, as he gave up just two earned runs in four innings of work for the Pirates. Justin Steele struggled on the mound for the Cubs but still picked up the win, going five innings and giving up two earned runs.
At the plate, the Cubs were led by Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson, as they were the only two Cubs hitters to have more than one hit. Suzuki, Miguel Amaya, and Bryan De La Cruz each had two RBIs for Chicago’s offense.
Chicago has won three straight series and is 7-3 in their last 10 games. They are 67-66 overall and trail the Brewers by nine games in the NL Central. The Cubs have a 40-28 run line record on the road, but they are 25-40 at home. Against the run line, they are 45-22 as underdogs and 20-46 as favorites.
The O/U line for today’s game is set at 8 runs, which is close to the Cubs’ season average of 8.6 runs per game. Their O/U record when the line is 8 runs is 7-16-1, and the line has been set at 8 runs in 50.4% of their games this season.
Kyle Hendricks Gets The Start For The Cubs
The Cubs are sending Kyle Hendricks to the mound today as he faces the Pirates on the road. This year, he has made 18 starts and has a record of 3-10 with a 6.33 ERA. Looking at his home/road splits, Hendricks is 2-5 with a 7.53 ERA on the road compared to 1-5 with a 5.78 ERA at home. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Hendricks has allowed at least one homer in four straight outings.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Chicago comes into today’s game averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 15th in the league. This is a lineup that has been pretty consistent, as they are 15th in team batting average and have the 15th best on-base percentage in the league. The Cubs have been a good home run hitting team this season and are led by Ian Happ and Isaac Paredes, who are 1st and 2nd on the team in homers, respectively.
Seiya Suzuki and Nico Hoerner have both been swinging the bat well of late, with Suzuki hitting .405 over his last nine games and Hoerner coming into the game on a four-game hitting streak. Dansby Swanson is also on a three-game streak but is hitting just .207 over his last nine games.
As underdogs, the Pirates have been a solid run line bet, going 55-27, but they have struggled as favorites, with a 19-31 record. Their over/under record for the season is 64-66, and when the total is 8 runs, their O/U record is 13-15.
Pittsburgh’s series record this season is 18-18-5, and they are currently 5th in the NL Central with a 62-70 overall record, one game behind the Reds. The Pirates have lost two straight games after a four-game winning streak.
Paul Skenes Gets The Start For The Pirates
Paul Skenes gets the start for the Pirates today and is coming off a great outing vs. the Reds. In that August 22nd start, he went 6 innings, picking up the win and not giving up a run. Skenes finished with nine strikeouts in the outing. Looking back further, he has made 17 starts, and opponents are batting .193 this season. Skenes’ ERA for the season is 2.16, along with a record of 8-2. For the year, he has allowed 10 homers and is averaging 11.25 strikeouts per nine innings.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Oneil Cruz has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Pirates, going 9/19 in his last five games. However, he has not hit a home run during that stretch. Bryan Reynolds and Bryan De La Cruz have both gone deep a lot this season, with Reynolds leading the team with 20 homers and De La Cruz right behind him at 19. Reynolds is also the team’s top hitter, batting .279 for the season.
As a team, the Pirates are 23rd in scoring at 4.2 runs per game, and they have been a below-average offensive club in terms of home runs, batting average, and on-base percentage. They have also been striking out a lot this season and have the league’s 25th slugging percentage.
Cubs vs Pirates Prediction
Our prediction for today’s Cubs vs. Pirates matchup is to take the over, with the line currently sitting at 8 runs. We see this one finishing with a score of 6-5 in favor of the Pirates. However, with the payout for a Pirates win sitting at -166, we see more value in taking the over.
Looking at today’s starters, we have Kyle Hendricks lasting 11th among starters in terms of innings pitched, and for Paul Skenes, he is projected to go 6 innings, which is good for 6th best among starters in terms of strikeouts.
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:August 28, 2024 Cubs, Pirates