Pirates vs Cubs Prediction & MLB Odds For Tuesday, September 3rd
From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have the Pirates and Cubs facing off in an NL Central matchup. The Cubs are 71-67 and they are 2nd in the NL Central, while the Pirates are 64-73 and they are 5th in the division. Kyle Hendricks is starting for the Cubs, and the Pirates are going with Paul Skens.
Chicago is the money line favorite for this one, with the odds sitting at +107 compared to the Pirates at -128. The over/under line is currently at 6.5 runs, and this game can be seen on MARQ.
Betting Odds & Lines for this Game
- Spread: Pirates -1.5 (+139) | Cubs 1.5 (-171)
- Total: 6.5
- MoneyLine: Pirates -128 | Cubs +107
All Odds are courtesy of (BetMGM | DraftKings | Fanduel | BetRivers)
Pirates vs. Cubs Prediction: Moneyline
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 two biggest hitters in the game were Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen. Reynolds and McCutchen each homered and went 1/4. Nick Gonzales also had a two-hit game for the Pirates.
The Pirates are 64-73 overall and trail the Brewers by 16.5 games in the NL Central. So far, they have gone 21-19 in divisional games. The Pirates are currently 5th in the NL Central and trail the Reds by one game for the 4th spot in the division.
At home, the Pirates have gone 32-36 this year while posting an identical 32-37 mark on the road. As the road favorite, the Pirates are 10-6 this year, and they are 27-24 when favored overall. So far, they have gone 37-49 as the underdog. Pittsburgh has dropped two straight series and has an overall series record of 17-21-5.
Chicago is 71-67 overall, putting them 2nd in the NL Central, ten games behind the Brewers for the division lead. The Cubs dropped the first game of this series vs. the Pirates, and their overall record vs. NL Central teams is 20-27 this year.
At home, the Cubs are 36-30 this year, and they have gone 35-37 on the road. Chicago has won two straight games as the underdog, and they are an even 34-34 as the underdog this year. As for their time as the favorite, the Cubs are 37-33.
Pirates vs. Cubs Prediction: Over/Under
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Chicago Cubs. The over/under line for the game is set at 6.5 runs. The combined run average in games involving the Pirates this season is 8.8 runs per game. The Pirates’ over/under record for the season is 67-68, and their average over/under line is set at 8 runs per game. When the over/under line is set at 6.5 runs, the Pirates’ record is 3-0. In 97.8% of their games this season, the over/under line has been set higher than 6.5 runs.
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. Overall, they are batting just .236 and are near the bottom of the league in home runs and slugging percentage. One thing they have done well is avoid strikeouts, as they are 27th in the league in strikeouts per game.
Bryan Reynolds has been the Pirates’ best hitter this season, with a batting average of .282 to go along with a team-high 22 home runs and 77 RBIs. Reynolds has also been hot of late, going 8/24 in his last six games, with two homers. Oneil Cruz is also swinging a hot bat, going 10/26 in his last six games.
The Cubs are playing the Pirates at home today, and the over/under line is set at 6.5 runs. The combined run average in Cubs games this season is 8.8 runs, and their over/under record is 64-69. The average over/under line in their games is 8 runs, and their over/under record when the line is set at 6.5 runs is 0-1. This season, 98.6% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 6.5 runs, and they are currently on a two-game over streak.
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 leads the team with 79 RBIs and is 14th in the league with 23 home runs. Nico Hoerner is also swinging a hot bat right now, as he is currently on a nine-game hitting streak. During this stretch, he has gone 11/31 (.355). Hoerner is batting .259 for the season and has five homers.
Chicago’s offense is averaging 4.6 runs per game this season, and they have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .240, which is 13th in the league, and are also 13th in the league in home runs. The Cubs are also one of the better teams in terms of drawing walks.
Pirates vs. Cubs Prediction: Spread
The Pirates have been a strong bet against the run line this season, going 76-61. They have been especially profitable on the road, where they are 42-27 against the run line. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 57-29 against the run line in those games.
Paul Skenes is getting the start for the Pirates today as he faces off against the Cubs on the road. So far this season, he has made 18 starts and has a record of 8-2 with an ERA of 2.23. Looking at his overall numbers, Skenes has a WHIP of .95 and has turned in 13 quality starts. In his 18 outings, he has only allowed 10 home runs. Skenes’ last outing came on August 28th, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
Chicago has been a solid run line bet on the road this season, going 43-29, while at home, they are just 25-41. The Cubs have been a good bet as the underdog, going 46-22, but have struggled as the favorite, going 22-48. Their average run margin in winning games is +3.7, while in losses, it is -3.2.
Kyle Hendricks gets the start for the Cubs today and comes in with a record of 3-10 and an ERA of 6.75. He has made 19 starts this year and has pitched better at home, coming in with a 5.78 ERA compared to 9.44 on the road. Hendricks has a WHIP of 1.53 and has turned in just three quality starts this year. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up six earned runs in 1 2/3 innings of work. Hendricks has not won a game since June 16th.
Pirates vs. Cubs Pick: Cubs ML +107
With the Cubs being the underdog at +107, we see this as a great opportunity to take them on the money line. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Cubs, giving you a solid payout if you decide to go with the Cubs on the money line.
Looking at today’s starters, Paul Skenes is projected to finish with eight strikeouts, which is the third-best among starters. As for Kyle Hendricks, he is projected to finish with four strikeouts, which is the lowest among today’s starters.
