The Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates meet Tuesday in MLB action from PNC Park. Here’s a Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs prediction. This will be the second installment in a three-game series. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Pirates vs Cubs pick.
Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
Over the weekend the Cubs took on the Miami Marlins. Chicago won the first pair in that set before a 7-2 loss Sunday. In the Monday opener versus Pittsburgh, the Cubs went wild in an 18-8 blowout win. Starter Jameson Taillon went 6.2 innings with four earned runs.
In the starter slot for game two the Cubs will go with Justin Steele. So far Steele is 4-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 21 starts. Over 95 career games Steele is 95-84 with a 3.24 ERA and a 28-21 record.
Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Preview
Over on the Pirates’ side, they played the Cincinnati Reds in their last set. Pittsburgh only lost Saturday 10-2 taking the rest 7-0, 6-5 and 4-3. On Monday the Pirates coughed up eight runs in the sixth inning alone. Mitch Keller put up 4.0 innings in the start with three earned.
As starter Tuesday Pittsburgh will send out Jared Jones. In 16 starts so far Jones is 5-6 with a 3.56 ERA in his rookie campaign.
Total Runs Facts
- Five of the Cubs’ last six games against NL Central opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
- Five of the last six games between the Cubs and Pirates at PNC Park have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cubs’ last eight night games.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the last four games between the Cubs and Pirates.
Pittsburgh Pirates Player Prop Facts
- Oneil Cruz has scored at least one run in each of his last six home appearances against the Cubs.
- Andrew McCutchen has recorded at least one hit in each of his last nine appearances in night games.
- Andrew McCutchen has recorded at least one total base in each of his last nine appearances in night games.
- Connor Joe has hit a home run in each of the Pirates’ last three home games against the Cubs.
- Joey Bart has recorded at least one RBI in six of his last seven home appearances.
- Yasmani Grandal has recorded a Double in three of his last four home appearances after playing the previous day.
- Andrew McCutchen has recorded a Single in each of his last nine appearances in night games.
Chicago Cubs Player Prop Facts
- Nico Hoerner has recorded at least one hit in each of the Cubs’ last 11 road games against NL Central opponents.
- Nico Hoerner has recorded at least one total base in each of the Cubs’ last 11 road games against NL Central opponents.
- Dansby Swanson has hit a home run in three of his last four appearances against the Pirates.
- Cody Bellinger has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Cubs’ last six road games against the Pirates.
- Cody Bellinger has recorded at least one Double in four of the Cubs’ last five games against opponents that held a losing record.
- Justin Steele has recorded seven or more strikeouts in each of his last four appearances in night games against teams that held a losing record.
- Nico Hoerner has recorded at least one Single in each of the Cubs’ last eight games against NL Central opponents.
- Nico Hoerner has scored at least one run in each of the Cubs’ last six games against NL Central opponents.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Prediction
I’ll stick with The Cubs. Steele is coming off a nice win over Detroit on August 22, going 7.0 innings with two earned on four hits. Over his last three appearances, Steele has just the two earned in 15.0 frames total.
On Monday Chicago had two big innings that provided 14 of their 18 runs. When the dust settled the Cubs had a whopping 21 team hits to Pittsburgh’s 13. All of that said, Chicago did give up six runs over the final three frames—it hardly mattered in the grand scheme, though. I see the Cubs posting another good effort Tuesday.