NEWSLETTER
Coming off of a 1-2 series loss to the Angels, the Pittsburgh Pirates (17-21) are -134 favorites to pick up the win in Game 1 of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs (22-16). The series begins at PNC Park, starting on Friday at 6:40 PM ET on SportsNet PT.
Jared Jones will get the ball for Pittsburgh while Chicago will counter with Javier Assad.
Pirates vs. Cubs Odds
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Game Time and Information
Who Will Win Pirates vs. Cubs?
Pirates and Cubs Betting Trends
The Pirates have been the moneyline favorite 16 total times this season. They’ve finished 6-10 in those games.
In games it has played as moneyline favorites with odds of -134 or shorter, Pittsburgh has a 4-6 record (winning 40% of its games).
The Cubs have won 12, or 52.2%, of the 23 games they’ve played as underdogs this season.
Chicago is 7-5 this season when entering a game as the underdog by +113 or more on the moneyline.
The Pirates have had an over/under set by bookmakers 38 times, and have combined with opponents to go over the total in 16 of those games (16-22-0).
The Cubs and their opponents have hit the over in 16 of their 38 games with a total this season.
Pirates Stats & Insights
The Pirates have the No. 27 offense in MLB action scoring 3.5 runs per game (134 total runs).
Pittsburgh has hit the third-fewest home runs in baseball this season (27).
The Pirates are 27th in the majors with a .220 batting average.
Pittsburgh strikes out 9.3 times per game, the fifth-worst average in baseball.
The pitching staff for the Pirates has a collective 8.5 K/9, which ranks 16th in the majors.
Pittsburgh’s 3.70 team ERA ranks 11th across all MLB pitching staffs.
Cubs Stats & Insights
The Cubs have scored the 12th-most runs in the league this season with 174 (4.6 per game).
Chicago’s 40 home runs rank ninth in Major League Baseball.
The Cubs’ .233 batting average ranks 20th in the league this season.
Chicago ranks 21st in strikeouts per game (8.8) among MLB offenses.
The Cubs average the 12th-most strikeouts per nine innings (8.6) in the majors this season.
Chicago has the 13th-ranked ERA (3.75) in the majors this season.
Pirates Key Players to Watch
Jones gets the start for the Pirates, his eighth of the season. He is 2-3 with a 2.63 ERA and 52 strikeouts through 41 2/3 innings pitched.
Bryan Reynolds is batting .240 for Pittsburgh with a team-high 17 RBI.
Connor Joe leads Pittsburgh in batting with a .288 average while slugging three homers and driving in 15 runs.
Ke’Bryan Hayes is slashing .240/.322/.318 this season for the Pirates.
Edward Olivares has 18 hits and an OBP of .284 to go with a slugging percentage of .395 this season.
Cubs Key Players to Watch
The Cubs’ Assad (3-0) will make his eighth start of the season.
Christopher Morel paces the Cubs with eight home runs and 24 runs batted in.
Nico Hoerner is batting .273 to lead his team.
Mike Tauchman is hitting .269 with eight doubles, three home runs and 21 walks.
Cody Bellinger has a double, a triple, six home runs and 11 walks while batting .239.
Pirates and Cubs Injuries
Pirates: Marco Gonzales: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Ryan Borucki: 15 Day IL (Left triceps inflammation), Dauri Moreta: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Johan Oviedo: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Jason Delay: 60 Day IL (Knee), Endy Rodriguez: 60 Day IL (Elbow)
Cubs: Dansby Swanson: 10 Day IL (Knee), Drew Smyly: 15 Day IL (Hip), Jordan Wicks: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Kyle Hendricks: 15 Day IL (Back), Daniel Palencia: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Julian Merryweather: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Caleb Kilian: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)
Pirates vs. Cubs Prediction
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