Cubs vs. Pirates Prediction
After being swept by the Philadelphia Phillies, can the Chicago Cubs rebound on the road when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates today at 7:05PM ET?
955 Chicago Cubs vs. 956 Pittsburgh Pirates
Friday, August 16, 2019
7:05PM ET – PNC Park
Compare odds and from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our new MLB Odds & Betting Page.
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers, the Cubs are favored on the road, as they are getting odds of -150 to win, while the Pirates are listed with odds of +120 to win. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 9 runs. The public betting for the contest currently has 71 percent going on Chicago on the road. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Cubs continue road struggles
The Chicago Cubs continued their woes on the road, getting swept by the Phillies last night while losing five of their last six. The Cubs are 64-57 on the season, 23-38 on the road and 60-56 with the under. Chicago has Kyle Hendricks on the mound today. He is 8-9 with a 3.48 ERA.
Chicago is seeing their hitting starting to tail off, as they now average just 4.95 runs per game while batting .254 as a team. On the mound, the Cubs have a 4.12 team ERA with a 1.30 team WHIP. Javier Baez is leading the team with 32 doubles, 28 home runs and 81 RBI. However, he is dealing with an illness that has him questionable for tonight. Anthony Rizzo has 25 doubles, 22 home runs and 75 RBI for the Cubs.
Pirates return home
Pittsburgh is coming off a six-game road trip this week, losing 7-4 in Los Angeles on Wednesday while going 2-4. The Pirates are 50-70 on the season, 24-32 at home and 70-46 with the over. Pittsburgh has Joe Musgrove on the mound today. He is 8-11 on the season with a 4.71 ERA.
The Pirates have struggled on the mound this season, posting a 5.04 team ERA with a 1.44 team WHIP. At the plate, Pittsburgh averages 4.73 runs per game while batting .266 as a team. Josh Bell is leading the team with 36 doubles, 31 home runs and 98 RBI. Starling Marte is adding 25 doubles, 20 home runs and 69 RBI.
MLB Betting Trends
Chicago
The Cubs are 10-25 in their last 35 road games and 2-7 in Hendricks’ last nine starts.
Pittsburgh
The Pirates are just 6-20 in their last 26 games following a loss and 8-26 in their last 34 games against NL Central opponents.
Prediction:
Hendricks is coming off a really poor showing in Cincinnati last week and the Cubs haven’t been providing him with much run support this year. His ERA on the road over 12 starts is 5.16 and he has a 6.00 ERA against the Pirates. Musgrove hasn’t been great as of late either, but he has thrown 9.1 innings against the Cubs this year and not given up an earned run. Given how bad Chicago has been on the road, it’s hard to trust them as a big road favorite.
MLB Prediction: Pittsburgh Pirates +120