Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates 5/28/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Monday, May 28, 2018

PNC Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Mike Montgomery vs. Chad Kuhl

The Chicago Cubs head to PNC Park on Monday, May 28, 2018 to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The expected starting pitchers are Mike Montgomery for the Cubs and Chad Kuhl for the Pirates.

The odds for this matchup have Chicago at -107 and Pittsburgh at -103. The Cubs have a 20-26-2 over/under mark and a 23-25-0 run line record. The Pirates are 24-27-0 against the run line and have a 25-20-6 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 20-26-2 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 23-25-0 against the run line

Important Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 25-20-6 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 24-27-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

05/26/18 P Yu Darvish Triceps 10-day DL (05/23)
04/21/18 P Eddie Butler Groin 10-day DL (04/20)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

03/26/18 P A.J. Schugel Shoulder 10-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Nick Burdi Elbow 60-day DL (02/20)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Cubs have a 26-22 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Mike Montgomery has a 0-1 record with an earned run average of 5.33 and a WHIP of 1.46 this year. He has 15 strikeouts over his 25.1 innings pitched and he's given up 27 hits. He allows 9.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.25. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.81 and they have given up 133 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .204 against the bullpen and they've struck out 186 hitters and walked 89 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. They are 4th in the league in team earned run average at 3.38. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 355 base hits and 165 earned runs. They have allowed 46 home runs this season, ranking them 26th in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 212 batters and struck out 429. They have walked 4.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.29 and their FIP as a unit is 4.07.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .256, good for 8th in the league. The Cubs hold a .426 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .339, which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 3rd in MLB with 9.0 hits per game. Javier Baez is hitting .262 with an on-base percentage of .295. He has 48 hits this season in 183 at bats with 39 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .563 and an OPS+ of 124. Kris Bryant is hitting .293 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .411. He has totaled 49 hits and he has driven in 26 men in 167 at bats. His OPS+ is 156 while his slugging percentage is at .551. The Cubs have 433 hits, including 91 doubles and 54 home runs. Chicago has walked 187 times so far this season and they have struck out 397 times as a unit. They have left 379 men on base and have a team OPS of .765. They score 5.17 runs per contest and have scored a total of 248 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Pittsburgh has a 28-23 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.20, Chad Kuhl has a 4-2 record and a 1.35 WHIP this season. He has 53 strikeouts over the 55.2 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 56 hits. He allows 9.1 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.66. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.77 and they have given up 171 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .248 against the Pirates bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 190 batters and walked 64 opposing hitters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.3 batters per nine innings. They are 14th in the league in team earned run average at 4.05. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 440 base knocks and 206 earned runs this season. They have given up 53 home runs this year, which ranks 22nd in Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 145 hitters and struck out 424 batters. They give up a walk 2.9 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.3 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.28 while their FIP as a staff is 3.80.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .259, good for 5th in the league. The Pirates hold a .427 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .331, which is good for 6th in baseball. They rank 6th in MLB with 8.9 hits per contest. Corey Dickerson comes into this matchup batting .312 with an OBP of .350. He has 58 hits this year along with 31 RBI in 186 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .495 with an OPS+ of 130. Josh Bell is hitting .259 this season and he has an OBP of .333. He has collected 48 hits in 185 at bats while driving in 28 runs. He has an OPS+ of 101 and a slugging percentage of .400. The Pirates as a unit have 453 base hits, including 92 doubles and 57 homers. Pittsburgh has walked 176 times this year and they have struck out on 384 occasions. They have had 364 men left on base and have an OPS of .758. They have scored 4.8 runs per game and totaled 245 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Cubs/Pirates MLB game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Pirates -103

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