Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates 7/31/18, Prediction & Odds

Cubs vs. Pirates Prediction

The Chicago Cubs continue to lead the NL Central by one game as it opens a series tonight at the Pittsburgh Pirates. Will Chicago post a win as a slight underdog or is Pittsburgh going to pull within six games in the division?

Game Snapshot

955 Chicago Cubs at 956 Pittsburgh Pirates

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

PNC Park at 7:05PM ET

TV: ATT SportsNet-PIT (PIT)

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Public Betting Information

According to oddsmakers, the Pirates are a -107 favorite on the moneyline. The Cubs are a -103 underdog, while the over-under is set at 7.5 runs. As of Tuesday morning, 64 percent of public bets are being placed on visiting Chicago. Check out our MLB Public Betting Page for up-to-date info.

Cubs prevail on Sunday Night Baseball

Chicago avoided being swept at St. Louis over the weekend by winning 5-2 Sunday night. Anthony Rizzo was 1-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs from the top of the lineup. Ben Zobrist was 4-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and two runs. Javier Baez finished 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. David Bote ended the contest 2-for-4 with a double. Kyle Hendricks earned the win as he allowed two earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and no walks over seven innings.

Pirates shut out by Mets 

Pittsburgh lost 1-0 Sunday afternoon at home against New York as it only took two out of four in the series. The Pirates were held to six hits, with Gregory Polanco leading the way by going 3-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases. Starling Marte and David Freese both finished 1-for-4, while Sean Rodriguez was 1-for-3. Joe Musgrove gave up one earned run on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks over seven innings to take the hard-luck loss.

Jon Lester (12.3, 3.06 ERA) starts today for the Cubs, while Jameson Taillon (7-8, 3.73) will go today for Pittsburgh.

MLB Betting Trends

Chicago

The under is 7-1 in the Cubs' last eight Tuesday games. The over is 7-2 in the last nine Chicago games following a win.

Pittsburgh

The Pirates are 1-8 in their last nine Tuesday games. Pittsburgh is 13-3 in its last 16 games overall.

Prediction:

Pittsburgh has slowed down a bit since its 11-game winning streak, but being at home and Taillon on the mound should help here. The Pirates know the importance of this series in the grand scheme of things and there should be a very good crowd on hand. Lester has been up and down of late. Look for Pittsburgh to take advantage.

 

MLB DAILY PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH PIRATES -107