A pair of MLB teams get together as the Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road at the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. After the Cube picked up a blowout win on Tuesday, the Pirates came away with the Wednesday win.
The win for the Pirates pushed them to 71-81 on the season. With ten games, the Pirates must win them all to finish .500. The Pittsburgh Pirates standings show they are in fourth place in the National League Central.
For the Cubs, their loss dropped them to 79-73 on the season. The Cubs are now seven games back of Milwaukee in the National League Central. The magic number to be eliminated from the division is now 5.
More importantly, though, for the Cubs, they remain ½ game ahead of Miami and 1 game ahead of the Reds for the final wildcard spot in the National League. Let’s take a look at the Pirates vs Cubs betting analysis:
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Odds
This are the MLB Odds for this match:
Pirates vs. Cubs Information
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs
Location of the game: Wrigley Field. Chicago, IL.
Date & Time: Thursday, September 21. 6:40 pm CST.
How to watch: Marquee Sports Network – Chicago
Recent Scores
Take a look at the Pirates and the Chicago Cubs score recaps:
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Friday, September 15th, 2023: 7-5 loss vs. Yankees
- Saturday, September 16th, 2023: 6-3 loss vs. Yankees
- Sunday, September 17th, 2023: 3-2 win vs. Yankees
- Tuesday, September 19th, 2023: 14-1 loss at Cubs
- Wednesday, September 20th, 2023: 13-7 win at Cubs
Chicago Cubs
- Friday, September 15th, 2023: 6-4 loss at Diamondbacks
- Saturday, September 16th, 2023: 7-6 loss at Diamondbacks
- Sunday, September 17th, 2023: 6-2 loss at Diamondbacks
- Tuesday, September 19th, 2023: 14-1 win vs. Pirates
- Wednesday, September 20th, 2023: 13-7 loss vs. Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Betting Analysis
Take a look at the latest for the Pirates vs Cubs betting analysis:
- Moneyline: Chicago Cubs -165, Pittsburgh Pirates +140
- Runline: Chicago Cubs -1.5 (+130), Pittsburgh Pirates +1.5 (-150)
- Total: 7.5
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Betting Preview
The Pirates put up big numbers in the win on Wednesday. Pittsburgh scored 7 runs in the 4th and added more as the game went on. The big blows were home runs from Joshua Palacios, Jared Triolo, and Connor Joe. The Pirates, as a team, are one of the worst-hitting teams in the league, as they are hitting .236. Ke’Bryan Hayes remains one of the top Pirates hitters, hitting .272 on the season. Jack Suwinsky clubbed 25 home runs and drove 66 runs on the season.
Johan Oviedo will get the start for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ovideo is 8-14 on the season, with a 4.27 earned run average. The 25-year-old has made 29 starts on the season. His most recent start was on September 15th against the Yankees. In that game, he went five innings, allowing four hits and just a single run.
Cubs Need a Turnaround
If the Cubs want to reach the postseason, they need to be more consistent down the stretch. Losing six out of seven games over the final weeks will not get it done. In the five-game losing streak, the Cubs allowed six runs per game. Chicago has to have a little concern with Justin Steele, who was their ace, as he struggled in back-to-back starts, including giving up the 4th inning mess on Wednesday.
Kyle Hendricks takes the baseball for the Chicago Cubs. The veteran is 6-7 on the season, with a 3.77 earned run average. The 33-year-old is making his 22nd start of the season. He went 5.1 innings in his last start at Arizona. In that game, he allowed seven hits and three runs in a no-decision.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Betting Prediction
The Chicago Cubs have not played great baseball as of late. After their five-game winning streak, it was nice for them to win, but the Wednesday loss was not great; now Oviedo will come in and make the loss their second straight.
Look for a strong start from the young righthander as the Pirates win two out of three in this series. The final Pirates vs Cubs betting analysis is the underdog.
- Take the Pittsburgh Pirates +140 over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
We like this game as our favorite on the MLB schedule for Thursday.
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