Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates 7/31/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

PNC Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jon Lester vs. Jameson Taillon

The Chicago Cubs visit PNC Park on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Jon Lester for the Cubs and Jameson Taillon for the Pirates.

The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -122 and Pittsburgh at +112. The Cubs have a 49-54-2 over/under record and a 55-50-0 run line mark. The Pirates are 52-55-0 against the run line and have a 51-49-7 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 49-54-2 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 55-50-0 against the run line

Important Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 51-49-7 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 52-55-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

07/26/18 3B Kris Bryant Shoulder 10-day DL (07/24)
07/21/18 P Anthony Bass Back 10-day DL (07/21)
07/19/18 P Brandon Morrow Biceps 10-day DL (07/18)
06/27/18 P Justin Hancock Shoulder 10-day DL (06/26)
06/24/18 P Rob Zastryzny Back 10-day DL (06/24)
05/26/18 P Yu Darvish Triceps 10-day DL (05/23)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

07/28/18 LF Corey Dickerson Hamstring 10-day DL (07/28)
07/28/18 1B Josh Bell Oblique 10-day DL (07/28)
06/29/18 P Chad Kuhl Forearm 10-day DL (06/27)
06/29/18 P Nik Turley Arm 60-day DL (06/29)
03/26/18 P A.J. Schugel Shoulder 60-day DL (03/26)
03/26/18 P Nick Burdi Elbow 60-day DL (02/20)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Cubs have a 61-44 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jon Lester has a 12-3 record with an earned run average of 3.06 and a WHIP of 1.24 this season. He has 96 strikeouts over his 120.2 innings pitched and he's given up 103 hits. He's allowed 7.7 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.59. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.21 and they have given up 319 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .220 against the bullpen and they've struck out 387 hitters and walked 186 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. They are 7th in the league in team earned run average at 3.76. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 838 base hits and 399 earned runs. They have allowed 110 home runs this season, ranking them 22nd in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 449 batters and struck out 863. They have walked 4.2 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.1 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.35 and their FIP as a unit is 4.38.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .266, good for 2nd in the league. The Cubs hold a .423 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .345, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 2nd in MLB with 9.3 hits per game. Kyle Schwarber is hitting .239 with an on-base percentage of .364. He has 72 hits this season in 301 at bats with 46 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .472 and an OPS+ of 119. Willson Contreras is hitting .278 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .367. He has totaled 90 hits and he has driven in 37 men in 324 at bats. His OPS+ is 112 while his slugging percentage is at .441. The Cubs have 974 hits, including 196 doubles and 112 home runs. Chicago has walked 407 times so far this season and they have struck out 885 times as a unit. They have left 826 men on base and have a team OPS of .768. They score 5.02 runs per contest and have scored a total of 527 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Pittsburgh has a 55-52 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 3.73, Jameson Taillon has a 7-8 record and a 1.22 WHIP. He has 114 strikeouts over the 118.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 112 hits. He's allowing 8.5 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.44. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.23 and they have given up 347 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .246 against the Pirates bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 402 batters and walked 158 opposing hitters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.4 batters per nine innings. They are 18th in the league in team earned run average at 4.2. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 925 base knocks and 444 earned runs this season. They have given up 115 home runs this year, which ranks 19th in Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 341 hitters and struck out 888 batters. They give up a walk 3.2 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.4 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.33 while their FIP as a staff is 4.08.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .255, good for 10th in the league. The Pirates hold a .417 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .320, which is good for 14th in baseball. They rank 11th in MLB with 8.6 hits per contest. Josh Harrison comes into this matchup batting .253 with an OBP of .292. He has 65 hits this year along with 28 RBI in 257 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .362 with an OPS+ of 78. Starling Marte is hitting .288 this season and he has an OBP of .334. He has collected 102 hits in 354 at bats while driving in 54 runs. He has an OPS+ of 123 and a slugging percentage of .494. The Pirates as a unit have 924 base hits, including 184 doubles and 113 homers. Pittsburgh has walked 323 times this year and they have struck out on 808 occasions. They have had 715 men left on base and have an OPS of .737. They have scored 4.52 runs per game and totaled 484 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates +112

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