Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Betting Pick & Prediction 9/3/24
From Wrigley Field in Chicago, we have the Pirates and Cubs facing off in an NL Central matchup. The money line odds have the Pirates at -128 compared to the Cubs at +107. The over/under line is currently at 6.5 runs.
First pitch for this one is set for 7:40 PM ET, and MARQ will be televising this one. Kyle Hendricks is starting for the Cubs, and the Pirates are going with Paul Skanes. Pittsburgh is 64-73, while the Cubs are 71-67.
CHICAGO CUBS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline +107
This game will be played at Wrigley Field at 7:40 ET on Tuesday, September 3rd.
HOW TO BET THE PIRATES VS CUBS:
- We have the Cubs winning by a score of 5 to 4
- If you’re looking for a run line pick, we also like the Cubs to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over
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.
Jameson Taillon pitched well for the Cubs in the game, going seven innings and striking out three without giving up a run. He finished with a 0.00 ERA but took a no-decision in the game. Jorge Lopez came out of the bullpen and took the loss. Jalen Beeks got the win for the Pirates out of the bullpen, and Jared Jones put together a good outing as the starter, getting the win.
Dansby Swanson hit the game’s only home run while going 2/4 with three RBIs, but it came in a losing effort. Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen each had two RBIs for the Pirates’ offense.
Pirates Records & Stats
Pittsburgh is 64-73 overall, which has them 5th in the NL Central this year. They are 16.5 games behind the Brewers for the division lead. So far, they have gone 21-19 in divisional games. The Pirates are looking to pick up a road win, as they are 32-37 on the road compared to 32-36 at home.
The Pirates have dropped two straight games as the favorite, and they are 27-24 when favored this year. As the underdog, the Pirates are 37-49. Pittsburgh’s series record is 17-21-5, and they had lost two straight series before taking the first game of this series vs. the Cubs.
When the Pirates are favored, they are a poor bet against the run line, but when they are the underdog, they are a great bet. The Pirates are 57-29 against the run line when they are the underdog, and they have lost four straight run line bets when they are the favorite.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have played to the over in three straight games with an average combined run total of 8.8 runs per game. On the season, the Pirates have a 67-68 over/under record, and the average over/under line in their games is 8 runs. Today’s over/under line is set at 6.5 runs, and the Pirates have played to the over in all three games this season when the line has been set at 6.5 runs.
Right-hander Paul Skenes gets the start for the Pirates today as he faces the Cubs on the road. Skenes has made 18 starts this season and has a record of 8-2. His ERA for the season is an impressive 2.23, along with a WHIP of .95. Skenes’ last outing came on August 28th, where he finished with a no-decision. In that outing, he went five innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Skenes has been much better on the road this year, coming in with a record of 3-1 and 1.71 ERA compared to 5-1 with a 2.83 ERA at home.
As a team, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 20th in the MLB. Their batting average of .236 is 16th in the league, and they are also among the league’s worst in terms of home runs and slugging percentage. However, they do have a few hitters who have been swinging the bat well of late, including Bryan Reynolds, who is 8/24 in his last six games with two homers.
Reynolds is also the team’s leading hitter for the season, batting .282 with 22 homers and 77 RBIs. Bryan De La Cruz is 2nd on the team with 19 homers but is batting just .237 for the season. The Pirates will also be looking for Andrew McCutchen to stay hot, as he is 4/12 in his last three games with two homers.
Cubs Records & Stats
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 their series vs. the Pirates and are 20-27 in divisional games this year. So far, they have an overall series record of 20-20-3 and have won five straight series.
At home, the Cubs are 36-30 this year and 35-37 on the road. Chicago has been playing well as of late, going 8-2 across their last ten games. As the underdog, the Cubs have an even 34-34 record this year and 13-7 as the underdog at home. They have been slightly above .500 as the favorite at 37-33.
When the Cubs win, they win by an average of 3.7 runs. When they lose, they lose by an average of 3.2 runs. Their overall run line record is 68-70, and they are 43-29 on the run line on the road. As the underdog, they are 46-22 on the run line, and they have covered in two straight games as the underdog.
The Chicago Cubs will be playing at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates today. The over/under line for the game is set at 6.5 runs, which is lower than their average over/under line of 8 runs. The Cubs have gone over the total in 64 of their 133 games this season, and their games have averaged a combined 8.8 runs per game. The over has hit in each of their last two games.
Kyle Hendricks gets the start for the Cubs today and comes in with a record of 3-10 and an ERA of 6.75. So far this year, he has made 19 starts, and opponents are batting .295 off the right-hander. Hendricks has made three quality starts this year and is averaging 6.05 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up six earned runs in 1 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without taking the loss. Hendricks has been much worse on the road, with an ERA of 9.44 compared to 5.78 at home.
Over his last eight games, Ian Happ has gone 15/35 for the Cubs, but he has yet to hit a home run during that stretch. However, he has driven in eight runs over that time. Overall, Happ leads the Cubs with 79 RBIs and is 2nd on the team with 23 home runs. Seiya Suzuki is also near the top of the Cubs’ home run leaderboard, as he has 19 homers this season and is batting .275.
Chicago’s offense is averaging 4.6 runs per game this season and has been even better on the road, putting up an average of 5 runs per contest. As a team, the Cubs are batting .240, which is 13th in the league, and they are 16th in home runs. So far, they have been good at avoiding strikeouts and are 6th in the league in walks.