Cubs vs. Pirates Series Betting Preview
The Chicago Cubs visit the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-game NL Central showdown at PNC Park, with action starting on Tuesday, September 1. With both teams coming from states with legal sports betting, the sportsbooks should see plenty of action on this series.
The last time these two teams met in a series was roughly a month ago and the Cubs took all three games.
Chicago got off to a hot start and sits atop the division, well out in front. The Pirates sit in the NL Central cellar, which puts these two squads at opposite ends of the spectrum. Neither team has suffered any long-term losses to key position players, but the Cubs have been without third baseman Kris Bryant as he has a sprained left ring finger and a left wrist injury that required an injection last week. Bryant has not been officially ruled out for the series.
The Cubs vs. Pirates odds see Chicago as the favorite, and the Cubs will likely maintain the role as betting favorite throughout the series unless a catastrophe occurs. One thing that could benefit the Cubs is that they have a day off before this series starts, whereas the Pirates have played 14 games over the past 13 days.
As always, make sure you compare Cubs vs. Pirates lines across various sportsbooks using our odds comparison tool. It can also help you see the best prices from across the entire MLB market, and every sports bettor should want to get the best price they can. The odds comparison tool is a great way to shop the best Cubs vs. Pirates odds.
Cubs Have Edges in Pitching and Hitting
Pittsburgh might get a break and likely will not see Cubs ace Yu Darvish, but the Chicago rotation will feature Jon Lester, who gave up just one run in six innings to the Pirates on August 2. Kyle Hendricks is also expected to start a game in the series. The Cubs bullpen has cooled off since a stellar start to the season and now ranks in the bottom third of MLB in bullpen WHIP.
Offensively, Anthony Rizzo, Ian Happ, and Kyle Schwarber have helped carry the club in the absence of Bryant. The Cubs have been a top-10 unit in ISO and a top-five team in on-base percentage.
The Cubs offense will be a popular one for Cubs vs. Pirates props, especially with Pittsburgh’s issues in its starting rotation and bullpen.
Pittsburgh is expected to start right-hander Chad Kuhl in the first game. Kuhl has been one of the best pitchers in the National League through August. Trevor Williams is also slated to start. Pittsburgh’s rotation has been one of the three worst units in MLB when you look at it through both advanced and old school statistics.
The Pirates bullpen was better than expected early this season, but they’ve nose-dived to the bottom of the league in many categories, including WHIP and xFIP.
Offensively, the Pirates have consistently been one of the two lowest-scoring teams in baseball. They hope to get third baseman Colin Moran back this series. Moran leads the team in home runs but has recently been sidelined with a concussion.
Chicago will likely be favored in every game when you shop Cubs vs. Pirates odds.