The Pittsburgh Pirates head out to Wrigley Field in Chicago for a three game series with the Cubs. The Cubs haven’t feared all that well against the Pirates this season winning just 4 of the 13 meetings so far. The Pirates beating the Cubs is a trend that goes back a few seasons now as the Pirates are 29-19 versus the Cubs over the last three seasons.
Head to Head Trends
Pirates are 9-4 in the 13 meetings this season.
Pirates are 29-19 versus the Cubs over the last 3 seasons.
Pittsburgh Pirates (-125)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 3rd in the National League Central 5.5 games back of the 1st place St Louis Cardinals. The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the best home record in baseball with 44 wins versus just 28 losses but as good as the Pirates are at home they are equally as bad on the road where they are just 27-40 which is one of the worst roads in the league. Away from home the Pirates average 3.99 runs per game on offense and allow 4.31 runs per game on defense. On the hill for the Pirates today is Vance Worley who is 6-4 with a 3.01 ERA in his 13 starts this season.
Pittsburgh Pirates Trends
Pirates are 0-4 in their last 4 overall.
Pirates are 2-10 in their last 12 games following a loss.
Pirates are 4-1 in Worleys last 5 starts with 5 days of rest.
Chicago Cubs (+115)
The Chicago Cubs are 5th in the National League Central 13 games out of 1st place. The Cubs are 12 games under .500 at 64-76 and haven’t been having the best season but they have been playing better over the past month or so winning 22 of their last 37 games. The Cubs are 2 games over .500 at home in Wrigley Field this season with a 35-33 record. At home the Cubs average 3.84 runs per game on offense and allow 3.81 runs per game on defense. On the mound for the Cubs today is rookie left hander Tsuyoshi Wada who is 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 9 starts this season.
Chicago Cubs Trends
Cubs are 6-0 in their last 6 home games.
Cubs are 22-8 in their last 30 during game 1 of a series.
Cubs are 7-1 in their last 8 games following an off day.
Conclusion
I haven’t said this very often this season but I like the Cubs as a nice +115 home underdog in this one today. The Cubs have been playing some decent baseball the past month winning 22 of their last 37 games and we also have a Pirates team who have not played very well on the road at all this season where they are just 27-40.
Free Pick: Chicago Cubs +115
