Game Preview
On Thursday night at Wrigley Field in Chicago, two NL Central cellar dwellers will face off as the 30-37 Chicago Cubs take on the 34-32 Pittsburgh Pirates. Both teams feature veteran playmakers that have yet to find their groove this season. The Cubs are looking to sweep the Pirates in this game, as they drew first blood on Tuesday and won again on Wednesday. This game will be the third and final game of their series.
In the last game on Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates got defeated 10-6 by the Chicago Cubs, who fought back from a 4 run disadvantage to take the win in the second game of the series. Dansby Swanson had 3 singles and 2 RBI in the game’s final frame, helping Chicago defeat Pittsburgh, who remained in 1st place in the flimsy NL Central, for the 2nd straight night. To once more achieve a double-digit mark in hits and runs, the Cubs tallied 13 hits.
Let’s check the latest MLB news, stats and MLB expert picks for Pirates vs Cubs. We’ve plenty of MLB Predictions for you to consider.
The Pirates have performed above expectations in the initial stages of the campaign. This might be the case, but the NL Central isn’t considered the sport’s toughest division either. The Pirates’ .734 team OPS places them around in the center of the list in Major League Baseball. Jack Suwinski leads the squad with 13 home runs for a lineup lacking in power, and Bryan Reynolds is having a strong year since signing an extended contract. Johan Oviedo will begin for the Pirates. After Rich Hill was supposed to begin the ball rolling, this became a last moment substitution. The 3-5 record and 4.16 ERA for Oviedo are very disappointing.
Sweeping this series could prove crucial for Chicago if they want to have any hope of remaining competitive. The roles have been inverted after numerous seasons in which the Cubs needed to destroy a faltering Pirates squad to improve their prospects of making the playoffs. Overall, the Cubs may not be enjoying a great season, but Marcus Stroman has been outstanding. First off, with 3.3 wins above replacement (WAR), he tops the whole MLB, and there’s hardly any competition. He will be starting in this game for Chicago.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Game Information
- Date: 06/15/2023
- Time: 08:05 PM ET
- Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois.
- How to Watch: Pirates vs Cubs MLB.TV
- Live Stream: MLB.TV
Pirates vs Cubs Betting Lines
Pirates are +131 according to our Vegas MLB Lines. This means that if you wager $100 you have the chance to win $131. On the other side, Cubs are -146 according to the Vegas MLB Lines. This means that if you wager $100 you have the chance to win $68.
The implied probability for these two teams attached to the betting lines have Pirates at a 43.29% chance of winning the game, meanwhile Cubs have 59.35% probability of finishing the game with the W.
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