Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 4/22/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Friday, April 22, 2022

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+135) Chicago (-155)

The Pittsburgh Pirates (5-7) are hitting the road to Wrigley Field on Friday where they will play the Chicago Cubs (6-6). The line on this matchup has Pittsburgh at +135 while Chicago is sitting at -155. The betting total is set at 9. The starting pitchers are Jose Quintana and Drew Smyly.

The Pirates have recorded 14 two-baggers as a squad and have knocked 8 balls out of the park. Pittsburgh is slugging .354 and have been called out on strikes 110 times, while drawing a walk on 37 occasions. As a squad, the Pittsburgh Pirates are putting up 3.8 runs per game, which is 19th in baseball. They have accrued 41 runs batted in as well as 97 hits on the season, while their average at the plate is at .244. They have earned a total of 45 runs scored and hold an OBP of .307.

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Pirates pitchers have allowed 14 home runs and 56 total runs (25th in baseball). They have walked 50 opposing hitters and their FIP is 4.73 as a unit on the campaign. They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 1.76 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.36. The Pirates are sitting with a team ERA of 4.72 on the year (26th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 88 batters.

Pirates bullpen pitchers have come into the game with runners on 10 times and also have had 5 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers are sitting with 1 hold this season (30th in baseball). The Pirates relief pitchers have recorded a save percentage of 100.0% and has entered the game in 4 save situations. They have compiled 2 saves for the year and have blown 0 of their 2 chances to get a save. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 13 runners on the campaign and 23.1% of those runners ended up scoring. The Pirates have dispatched 37 relievers to the mound this year.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have amassed 309 putouts over the course of the season, in addition to 99 assists and 5 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .988 which has them sitting 12th in professional baseball, and they have twisted 8 double plays. The Pirates have turned 72.6% of balls in play into outs out of their 927 innings on the field, ranking them 7th in pro baseball.

Quintana has taken the mound for 1,567 frames and is sitting with 1,400 punch outs in his MLB career. His ERA is 3.84 (668 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.286. He has conceded 1,554 base hits (8.9 hits per 9 innings) with 462 walks. Quintana (83-81 career record) sits with a FIP of 3.69 while going up against 6,581 batters in the major leagues.

The Cubs hold a slugging percentage of .427 and they earn 4.58 runs per game (10th in baseball). They have hit 26 doubles, while taking a walk 44 times and notching 55 runs. Chicago has accounted for 11 HRs for the year to go along with 51 runs batted in. They have been rung up on 92 occasions (23rd in the league) and have a total of 101 base hits. The Chicago Cubs have an OBP of .347 and a team batting average of .263 on the year.

The Chicago pitching staff have given up 53 runs on the season while having an ERA of 4.59 (52 earned runs relinquished). They have allowed 12 homers and they allow 4.68 runs per 9 innings (24th in the league). The Cubs have a WHIP of 1.373 with a FIP of 3.90 as a staff over the course of the season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.49 (102 strikeouts against 41 walks). They come in at 23rd in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 99.

Chicago has called on relievers to enter the contest in 7 save chances and they have recorded 5 saves. They sit at 15th in the league holding a save rate of 71.4%, and they have dispatched 40 relievers to the mound over the course of the season. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 15 times in high leverage situations in addition to 15 occasions with runners on. Chicago relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 32.0% out of 25 inherited runners. Sitting with 16 save situations, the Cubs have tallied 6 holds in addition to 2 blown saves.

In 918 innings on the diamond, the Cubs hold a defensive efficiency of 67.7% (26th in pro baseball). The Chicago Cubs have turned 13 double plays and have a fielding rate of .990 (8th in baseball). The Cubs have recorded 103 assists, 4 errors and are sitting with 306 putouts for the year.

So far in his pro baseball career, Smyly has surrendered 809 base hits while he has accumulated 836 punch outs in 847 innings. Smyly (47-39 career win-loss record) has a 4.13 ERA and has allowed 8.6 hits per 9 innings. He has conceded 389 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.270 and a FIP of 4.3. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.13 and he has faced 3,557 opposing hitters so far in his career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+135)

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