Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 8/15/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Friday, August 15, 2025

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+162) Chicago (-196)

Wrigley Field is where the Chicago Cubs (68-51) will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (51-71) on Friday. The moneyline on this game has the Pirates at +162 while the Cubs are coming in at -196. The over/under comes in at 9. The men taking the mound will be Braxton Ashcraft and Colin Rea.

Pittsburgh has a slugging % of .346 and have been rung up 1,054 times, while being walked on 388 occasions. They have tallied 418 runs batted in as well as 942 base knocks so far this year, while their batting average is .232. The Pirates have hit 168 doubles as a unit and have smacked 86 balls out of the park. They have a total of 432 runs while holding a team on-base percentage of .304. As a team, the Pittsburgh Pirates are compiling 3.5 runs per game, which is 30th in baseball.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.64 and their pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.24. Pirates pitchers have given up 122 long balls and 517 runs (15th in MLB). Pittsburgh has relinquished 979 hits (8.2 per 9 innings) and also 486 earned runs. The Pirates have a team ERA of 4.06 for the year (17th in the league), and the staff has rung up 947 hitters. They have walked 359 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 3.97 as a squad on the season.

The Pirates have sent 379 relief pitchers to the mound so far this season. The relievers have inherited 177 base runners so far this season and 36.7% of those runners earned a run for their team. They have recorded 25 saves this year and have blown 19 of 44 save chances. The Pirates bullpen have accumulated a save rate of 56.8% and have entered the game in 100 save situations. The bullpen have tallied 54 holds on the season (25th in the league). Pirates relief pitchers have entered the game with opponents on base 112 times in addition to having 118 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have accounted for 3,231 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 1,009 assists and 56 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .987 which has them ranked 11th in baseball, and they have turned 87 double plays. The Pirates have turned 70.8% of baseballs in play into outs in their 9,693 innings on the diamond, ranking them 10th in pro baseball.

Ashcraft (3-2 mark in his career) has earned a FIP of 3.18 while he has faced 159 hitters during his time in the majors. He has allowed 37 base knocks (9.2 hits per 9 innings) and has 13 free passes. His ERA is 3.23 (13 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.381. Ashcraft has taken the ball for 36 innings and has accounted for 33 strikeouts during his pro baseball career.

The Cubs have a SLG% of .435 and they average 5.08 runs per contest (3rd in the league). They have hit 196 doubles, while getting a free base 401 times as well as putting up 604 runs. Chicago has knocked in 169 home runs so far this year to go along with 588 RBIs. They have struck out on 924 occasions (27th in MLB) and have recorded 1,030 hits. The Chicago Cubs have recorded a team OBP of .321 and a team batting average of .252 for the season.

The Cubs have a team WHIP of 1.212 and have a FIP of 4.20 as a unit on the season. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 7.70 (900 strikeouts against 305 walks). They rank 13th in baseball as a staff in total hits allowed with 975. They have surrendered 148 homers and they surrender 4.16 runs per 9 innings (7th in baseball). The Chicago pitching staff have surrendered 488 runs so far this year while having an ERA of 3.87 (454 earned runs yielded).

Chicago has had bullpen pitchers enter the contest in 40 save chances and they have earned 27 saves. They rank 6th in the league with a save percentage of 67.5%, and they have sent 390 relievers to the mound on the year. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 111 times in high leverage situations and also on 81 occasions with runners on. Chicago relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 31.0% out of their 113 inherited base runners. With 121 save situations, the Cubs have accrued 78 holds and also 13 blown saves.

In 9,510 innings on the diamond, the Cubs have earned a defensive efficiency of 71.3% (4th in MLB). The Chicago Cubs have turned 94 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .988 (7th in professional baseball). The Cubs have recorded 991 assists, 50 errors and have earned 3,170 putouts during this campaign.

Rea (35-25 mark in his career) has a 4.48 ERA while allowing 8.8 hits per nine innings. His strikeout to walk ratio is 2.67 and he has gone up against 2,394 opposing batters so far in his career. He has conceded a total of 280 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.282 and a FIP of 4.4. Thus far in his career, Rea has allowed 552 hits and he has 451 punch outs in 562 innings.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+162)

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