Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates 8/16/2018 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Thursday, August 16, 2018

PNC Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jon Lester vs. Ivan Nova

PNC Park is the site of the matchup between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, August 16, 2018. The probable starting pitchers are Jon Lester for the Cubs and Ivan Nova for the Pirates.

Chicago opens at -114 while Pittsburgh opens at +104. The Cubs have a 54-62-2 over/under record and a 60-58-0 run line mark. The Pirates are 58-62-0 against the run line and have a 58-55-7 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 54-62-2 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 60-58-0 against the run line

Important Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 58-55-7 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 58-62-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

08/03/18 P Brian Duensing Shoulder 10-day DL (08/03)
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 60-day DL (06/26)
06/24/18 P Rob Zastryzny Back 10-day DL (06/24)
05/26/18 P Yu Darvish Triceps 60-day DL (05/23)
03/26/18 P Drew Smyly Elbow 60-day DL (02/16)

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

08/14/18 SS Jordy Mercer Calf left last game, is "?" Wednesday vs Minnesota Twins
08/08/18 RF Sean Rodriguez Abdominal 10-day DL (08/06)
06/29/18 P Chad Kuhl Forearm 60-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 68-50 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jon Lester has a 12-5 record with an earned run average of 3.89 and a WHIP of 1.34 this year. He has 105 strikeouts over his 134.1 innings pitched and he's given up 128 hits. He's allowed 8.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 5.02. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.35 and they have given up 359 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .222 against the bullpen and they've struck out 431 hitters and walked 206 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 8 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. They are 12th in the league in team earned run average at 3.85. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 955 base hits and 458 earned runs. They have allowed 126 home runs this season, ranking them 22nd in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 485 batters and struck out 969. They have walked 4.1 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 4.36.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .263, good for 2nd in the league. The Cubs hold a .419 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .342, which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 3rd in MLB with 9.1 hits per game. Willson Contreras is hitting .271 with an on-base percentage of .359. He has 98 hits this season in 362 at bats with 41 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .431 and an OPS+ of 107. Javier Baez is hitting .292 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .325. He has totaled 126 hits and he has driven in 89 men in 432 at bats. His OPS+ is 130 while his slugging percentage is at .572. The Cubs have 1,078 hits, including 217 doubles and 122 home runs. Chicago has walked 446 times so far this season and they have struck out 986 times as a unit. They have left 915 men on base and have a team OPS of .760. They score 4.88 runs per contest and have scored a total of 576 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Pittsburgh has a 61-59 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.42, Ivan Nova has a 7-6 record and a 1.31 WHIP this season. He has 88 strikeouts over the 124.1 innings he's pitched. He also has given up 136 hits. He allows 9.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.58. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.22 and they have given up 396 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .250 against the Pirates bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 431 batters and walked 181 opposing hitters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 8.9 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings. They are 18th in the league in team earned run average at 4.21. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,057 base knocks and 498 earned runs this season. They have given up 123 home runs this year, which ranks 24th in Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 386 hitters and struck out 956 batters. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.1 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.36 while their FIP as a staff is 4.09.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .255, good for 7th in the league. The Pirates hold a .415 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .319, which is good for 16th in baseball. They rank 8th in MLB with 8.6 hits per contest. Starling Marte comes into this matchup batting .276 with an OBP of .320. He has 113 hits this year along with 57 RBI in 409 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .469 with an OPS+ of 114. Josh Harrison is hitting .254 this season and he has an OBP of .297. He has collected 74 hits in 291 at bats while driving in 32 runs. He has an OPS+ of 81 and a slugging percentage of .364. The Pirates as a unit have 1,034 base hits, including 207 doubles and 126 homers. Pittsburgh has walked 358 times this year and they have struck out on 920 occasions. They have had 794 men left on base and have an OPS of .734. They have scored 4.55 runs per game and totaled 546 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates +104

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