Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Pick & Prediction 8/27/24

From PNC Park in Pittsburgh, we have the Cubs and Pirates facing off in an NL Central matchup. The money line odds have the Cubs as the favorite, with their line sitting at -135 compared to the Pirates at +114. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs.

First pitch for this one is set for 6:40 PM ET, and SN PT will be televising this game. Justin Steele is starting for the Cubs, and he is facing off against Jared Jones for the Pirates. Chicago is 2nd in the NL Central, while the Pirates are 5th with a record of 62-69.

CHICAGO CUBS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline -135

This game will be played at PNC Park at 6:40 ET on Tuesday, August 27th.

HOW TO BET THE CUBS VS PIRATES:

• We have the Cubs winning by a score of 5 to 4
• However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the Pirates to cover
• As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over

Chicago cruised to an easy 18-8 win over the Pirates in the most recent game of this series. The Cubs had a huge 6th inning, scoring eight of their eighteen runs. As for the Pirates, they scored their final two runs in the 7th. Heading into the game, the Cubs were the slight favorites at -103.

Pittsburgh got on the board first in the 1st inning, scoring two runs. However, the Cubs responded with two runs in the 2nd and added three more in the 3rd. After scoring their two runs in the 1st, the Pirates were held in check until they broke out for two more in the 7th. As for the Cubs, they scored their final three runs in the 9th.

Jameson Taillon pitched well for the Cubs in this one, going 6 2/3 innings and striking out three. He picked up a win in the game, while Mitch Keller had a rough outing for the Pirates, taking the loss. Keller went just four innings and gave up three earned runs.

Cubs Records & Stats

With an overall record of 66-66, the Cubs are 10 games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. Chicago is 18-26 against other NL Central teams this season. The Cubs have taken the first game of this series vs. the Pirates and have an overall series record of 17-21-3 this year.

At home, the Cubs are 36-29 this season, and they are just under .500 at 30-37 on the road. So far, they have been the favorite in 65 games, going 33-32 in those contests. As for their games as the underdog, the Cubs are 33-34 this year. Looking at their overall play recently, the Cubs are 7-3 over their last ten games.

When the Cubs win, they do so by an average of 3.6 runs per game. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.2 runs per game. They are 64-68 on the run line this season, including 39-28 on the road. As the underdog, they are 45-22 on the run line. As the favorite, they are 19-46.

Chicago Cubs games have had an average combined run total of 8.5 this season, and their over/under record is 59-68. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, the Cubs are 7-16-1. In 67 of their games this season, the over/under line has been set higher than 8 runs, which is 50.8% of their games. In 41 games, the over/under line has been set lower than 8 runs, which is 31.1% of their games.

Left-hander Justin Steele gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces off against the Pirates on the road. He has made 21 starts this season and has a record of 4-5 with a 3.07 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Steele has a WHIP of 1.06 and opponents are batting .211 off him this season. In his 21 appearances, he has turned in 11 quality starts and is averaging 9.15 strikeouts per nine innings. The last time he took the mound, Steele picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up two earned runs on 10 hits. He finished with 10 strikeouts in that outing.

For the season, the Cubs are averaging 4.4 runs per game, which is 15th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.6 runs per game compared to 4.1 at home. As a team, the Cubs are batting .238, which is 16th in the league, and they are also 16th in home runs.

Over the team’s last nine games, Seiya Suzuki has gone 13/36 (.361) with two homers and five RBIs. Miguel Amaya has also been swinging a hot bat, going 12/27 with two homers and 11 RBIs. Ian Happ has also homered twice in this stretch while batting .286. For the season, Happ is the Cubs’ leader in RBIs (72) and is batting just .237.

Pirates Records & Stats

Pittsburgh is 5th in the NL Central with a record of 62-69, putting them 13.5 games behind the Brewers for the division lead. So far, they have gone 20-17 in divisional matchups. The Pirates dropped the first game of this series vs. the Cubs and trail the Cubs by 1.0 game in the division.

At home, the Pirates are 32-34 this year compared to 30-35 on the road. As the underdog, Pittsburgh is 35-46 this year and 27-23 when favored. The Pirates’ overall series record is 18-18-5, and they are 5-5 over their last 10 games.

When betting the run line, the Pirates have been a good choice this season, going 74-57. They’ve been especially good on the road, going 40-25, while they are just 34-32 at home. They have covered the run line in four straight games as the underdog and are 55-26 overall in that role.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are hosting the Chicago Cubs today, with the Over/Under line set at 8 runs. The Pirates have a combined run average of 8.6 runs per game this season, and their Over/Under record is 63-66. When the O/U line is set at 8 runs, their record is 13-15. Overall, 51.9% of their games this season have had O/U lines set at 8 runs or higher.

Jared Jones gets the start for the Pirates today and comes in with a record of 5-6 and an ERA of 3.56. Looking back at his last outing, Jones finished with a no-decision vs. the Cardinals, going five innings and giving up one earned run. He only allowed four hits in that outing. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Jones’ ERA at home is 2.22 compared to 5.84 on the road. Overall, he has made nine home starts, compared to seven on the road. Opponents are batting .216 off Jones this season.

Oneil Cruz has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/25 in his last seven games. He has also scored two runs during that stretch. Overall, Cruz is batting .265 for the season with 18 homers and 63 RBIs, which are both the 2nd best marks on the team. Bryan Reynolds leads the Pirates in RBIs this season, and his 20 homers are 15th best in the league.

As a team, the Pirates are 23rd in scoring at 4.2 runs per game. They are also near the bottom of the league in home runs and have the 26th ranked OPS in the league. Pittsburgh’s offense is also one of the worst in terms of striking out, averaging 9 per game.