Cubs vs. Pirates Prediction
The Chicago Cubs fended off a late rally by the host Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday to win a second straight game in the series. Can Chicago complete the sweep tonight with Kyle Hendricks on the mound?
Game Snapshot
905 Chicago Cubs at 906 Pittsburgh Pirates
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
PNC Park at 7:05PM ET
TV: WGN (PIT)
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, the Cubs are a -134 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Pirates are a +124 underdog, while the total sits at 8 runs. As of Wednesday afternoon, 69 percent of public bets are coming in on visiting Chicago. Check out our MLB Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Cubs hit three home runs in win
With the Pirates holding a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning Tuesday, Ben Zobrist put the Cubs on the board with a two-run homer. Anthony Rizzo hit a home run in the seventh as Chicago grabbed a 6-4 advantage, while Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer in the eighth to extend the lead to 8-4. The Pirates scored twice in the ninth but their comeback ultimately fell short. Jon Lester allowed four earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks over six innings to pick up the win. Brandon Morrow earned his 12th save.
Meadows continues to shine
Pittsburgh right fielder Austin Meadows did plenty enough to remain in the majors even after Starling Marte came off the disabled list. Meadows continued his assault on MLB pitching Tuesday as he went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and two runs scored. It was his fourth home run and he is now batting .439. Marte was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a run and three RBIs. Josh Bell went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Nick Kingham took the loss as he allowed three earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks over 5 2/3 innings.
MLB Betting Trends
Chicago
The Cubs are 7-2 in Hendricks’ last nine Wednesday starts. The under is 13-5 in the last 18 Hendricks starts on grass.
Pittsburgh
The over is 7-2 in the last nine Pirates games on Wednesday. Pittsburgh is 2-6 in its last eight games following a loss.
Prediction:
The Cubs are trending in the right direction with three straight wins, while Pittsburgh has now dropped four in a row. Musgrove was strong in his first start of the season, throwing seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts against the Cardinals. I’m going to take my chances on the underdog getting the job done at home today as if Musgrove provides solid pitching again and the Pirates have a similiar offensive output as yesterday, they should be in good shape.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH PIRATES +124