Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Pick & Prediction 5/12/24

At 1:35 from PNC Park in Pittsburgh, we have an NL Central matchup between the Cubs and Pirates. Heading into Sunday’s game, the Cubs have a record of 23-17, while the Pirates are 18-22. Kyle Hendricks is starting for the Cubs, and he is facing off against Bailey Falter for the Pirates.

Chicago is the favorite on the money line at -120, and the over/under line is sitting at 8.5 runs. If you’re looking to watch this game on TV, it is being carried by MARQ.

CHICAGO CUBS VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Cubs Moneyline -120

This game will be played at PNC Park at 1:35 ET on Sunday, May 12th.

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

Pittsburgh picked up a 10-9 win over the Cubs in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a huge 3rd inning, scoring seven of their ten runs. As for the Cubs, they scored their nine runs in the 5th. Heading into the game, the Pirates were the slight favorites at -106.

Colin Holderman got the win for the Pirates out of the bullpen, while David Bednar got the save. Keegan Thompson took the loss for Chicago out of the bullpen.

Paul Skenes only went four innings for the Pirates but gave up just three hits and three earned runs. Justin Steele struggled on the mound for the Cubs, giving up six runs in four innings of work.

Cubs Records & Stats

Chicago is 23-17 overall and 1.5 games behind the Brewers for the NL Central lead. The Cubs have gone 3-2 in divisional games this year and are currently tied with the Pirates in their series and 1-1. Overall, the Cubs have gone 5-5 over their last 10 games.

At home, the Cubs have been strong, going 13-6 this season. On the road, they are just under .500 at 10-11. As the favorite, the Cubs are 10-6 this year and 3-2 when favored on the road. As for their record as the underdog, the Cubs have gone 13-11 this year. So far, their overall series record is 6-4-2.

Chicago has been a profitable run line team this season, going 24-16 overall and 14-7 on the road. They have been a better bet as the underdog, going 18-6 against the run line. The Cubs have an average run margin of +0.4 runs per game this season, but that number jumps to +1.7 runs per game at home. Their average run differential in wins is +3.3 runs per game, while it drops to -3.5 runs per game in losses.

Chicago’s over/under record is 18-21, and the average combined run total in their games is 9.1. The over/under line for today’s game against Pittsburgh is set at 8.5 runs, and their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs. In games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the over is 5-3. This season, 57.5% of their games have had lower over/under lines than 8.5 runs. The Cubs have hit the over in their last two games, with a combined 19 runs scored in their last game against the Pirates.

Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs are on the road to take on the Pirates. Hendricks is still looking for his first win of the season, as he has taken a loss in each of his first two starts. He is coming off a 4-inning outing where he gave up 4 runs on 6 hits and 5 strikeouts against the Marlins.

So far this season, the Cubs offense is averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.9 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting .238, which is 12th in the league. They have been good at working counts, as they are 3rd in the league in walks.

Christopher Morel and Cody Bellinger are tied for the team lead in home runs, with 8 apiece. Bellinger has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/17 in his last four games, with three runs and three RBIs. Nico Hoerner is batting .272 this season and has an on-base percentage of .351.

Pirates Records & Stats

Pittsburgh is 18-22 overall and trails the Brewers by 6.5 games in the NL Central. Currently, they are 3-3 in divisional matchups and are tied with the Cubs in their series at 1-1. The Pirates took the series lead with a win in the second game of the series.

At home, the Pirates are 9-11 this year, which matches their 9-11 mark on the road. So far, they have really struggled as the favorite, going 6-12. As the underdog, the Pirates are 12-10 this year. Looking at their overall series record, the Pirates are 4-5-3 this year. Over their last 10 games, the Pirates are 4-6.

The Pirates are 20-20 against the run line this season, including an 11-9 mark on the road. They are 15-7 against the run line as underdogs, but just 5-13 when favored. Their average run differential in wins is +2.6, while it’s -3.3 in losses.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have gone over the total in four straight games, and their games have averaged 8.0 runs per game this season. Their over/under record for the season is 18-22, and their games have had an average total of 8 runs. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, they have gone over the total in nine of 14 games, and their games have had an average of 8.5 runs per game.

Bailey Falter gets the start for the Pirates today and is coming off a rough outing vs. the Rockies. In that May 5th start, he went 5 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs, and took the loss. He finished with a no-decision in the outing. Looking back over his last four starts, Falter has given up at least one homer in three of those outings. This season, he has made seven starts, and opponents are batting .216 vs. the left-hander. Falter’s ERA for the season is 4.34, along with a record of 2-2.

Over his last nine games, Oneil Cruz has been swinging a hot bat for the Pirates, going 11/30 with three homers and eight RBIs. This has helped him move into the team lead with six home runs. Connor Joe has also been playing well of late, as he has two homers in his last nine games and is batting .290. Joe also has a three-game hitting streak coming into today’s game.

As a team, the Pirates are averaging just 3.6 runs per game and have been even worse at home, averaging only 3.2 runs per contest. Pittsburgh’s team batting average of .222 is 16th in the league, and they are also near the bottom of the league in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and OPS.