The Pittsburgh Pirates (63-73) travel to face off against the Chicago Cubs (71-66) on Monday, September 2nd. This game will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago and televised on MARQ. 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 Guardians. First pitch is set for 6:40 CT.
Pirates vs. Cubs Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Cubs (-147)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 7.5 Runs
- The Cubs have won 9 of their last 10 games.
- The Cubs have scored an average of 8.6 runs per game in their last 10 games.
- The Cubs have won all 3 of their recent head-to-head games against the Pirates, scoring an average of 13.67 runs per game.
- The Cubs have a home record of 36-29, while the Pirates have an away record of 31-37.
- The Cubs have a league rank of 8th, while the Pirates are ranked 12th in the National League.
Pirates vs Cubs
The Cubs Took The Last Game Of This Series
Pittsburgh is coming off a game in which they wasted several good performances. In their 6-1 loss to Cleveland, Mitch Keller was the losing pitcher, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs on 11 hits. The Pirates also wasted a big game from Bryan Reynolds, who went 2/3 with a run scored.
Reynolds was the only Pirates hitter to have more than one hit, and the team only scored one run. That run came in the 7th inning. Pittsburgh was the +132 underdog going into this road game.
For the season, the Pirates have an O/U record of 66-68, with their games averaging 8.8 runs per game. When the total is set at 7.5 runs, they have a 10-17 O/U record. Pittsburgh’s overall series record is 17-21-5, and they have lost two straight series heading into today’s game.
As underdogs, the Pirates have a 36-49 straight-up record, and they are 31-37 on the road. Against the run line, they have a 41-27 record on the road and 75-61 overall. Pittsburgh’s average run margin per game is -0.4 runs.
Jared Jones Gets The Start For The Pirates
Jared Jones will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Cubs today, as he comes in with a record of 5-7 and an ERA of 3.88. In that most recent outing vs. the Cubs, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in four innings of work. Looking back over his last four starts, Jones has allowed at least four earned runs in three of them. So far this year, he has made nine quality starts. Per nine innings, Jones is averaging 9.66 strikeouts and 2.84 walks. For the season, he has allowed 14 homers. At home, his ERA is 3.12 compared to 5.84 on the road.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. This is a team that has been pretty consistent, as they are averaging 4.1 runs per game on the road and 4.3 runs per game at home. As a team, they are batting just .236 and are 21st in the league in on-base percentage.
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ top hitter this season, with a batting average of .282 and a team-leading 21 home runs. He has also driven in 74 runs, which is the best mark on the team. Reynolds has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/31 in his last eight games with two homers. Oneil Cruz is also swinging a hot bat, hitting .412 in his last eight games.
The Cubs Are Coming Off A Win
To close out their series vs. the Nationals, the Cubs picked up an impressive 14-1 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -130 on the money line. It was a seven-run 3rd inning that really turned things in their favor, and the Nationals could only score one run, which came in thejson 2nd.
Jordan Wicks put together a good start for the Cubs, going five innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Chicago’s offense was carried by Dansby Swanson, who went 4/6 with a double, three RBIs, and a run scored. The Cubs also had three other players with two hits.
Chicago has won six straight games and are currently in 2nd place in the NL Central, nine games behind the Brewers. Their overall series record this season is 20-20-3, and they have won five straight series. The Cubs’ run line record is 68-69, including a 43-29 record on the road.
When the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs, the Cubs have a 16-14 O/U record. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and their overall O/U record is 63-69. Today’s O/U line is 7.5 runs, which is lower than usual, as 69.3% of their games have had higher total lines.
Jameson Taillon Gets The Start For The Cubs
Chicago is sending right-hander Jameson Taillon to the mound today vs. the Pirates. He has made 23 starts this season and has a record of 9-8 with a 3.85 ERA. Taillon’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.20. In his last outing, he went 6 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs, and got the win. Before that, he had lost three straight starts. Taillon has allowed at least two homers in three of his last four starts. For the season, he has given up 20 homers and is averaging 7.02 strikeouts per nine innings.
Cubs Offense Breakdown
Seiya Suzuki has been red hot for the Cubs over the past eight games, going 14/37 (.378) with three homers and eight RBIs. For the season, he is batting .276 with 19 homers, which is the 2nd most on the team. Ian Happ is the Cubs’ top power threat, as his 23 homers is the best mark on the team and 14th in the league. Happ also leads the Cubs with 77 RBIs.
Chicago’s offense has been good at drawing walks this season and is 6th in the league in home runs. Overall, they are averaging 4.6 runs per game and have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. The Cubs come into the game with a few players on nice hitting streaks, including Nico Hoerner, who has hits in eight straight games.
Pirates vs Cubs Prediction
Our pick for today’s Pirates vs. Cubs game is to take the Cubs on the money line at -147. We have the Cubs winning this one by a final score of 5-4. Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have Jared Jones finishing with six strikeouts, and Jameson Taillon finishing with five.
If you’re looking for a potential parlay, you could look to pair a Cubs win with the over. However, we have the line sitting at 7.5 runs, and with the Cubs scoring five runs, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room if you’re looking to take the over.
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 2, 2024 Cubs, Pirates