Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, 8/16/2025 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs

Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025

Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

TV: Marquee

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+125) Chicago (-150)

The Pittsburgh Pirates (51-71) are traveling to Wrigley Field on Saturday where they will play the Chicago Cubs (68-51). The odds on this game have the Pirates at +125 while the Cubs are at -150. The total is set at 8. The pitchers expected to start will be Mike Burrows and Shota Imanaga.

Pittsburgh is slugging .346 and have struck out 1,054 times, while drawing a walk on 388 occasions. They have accounted for 418 runs batted in as well as 942 hits on the season, while their team batting average sits at .232. The Pirates have hit 168 two-baggers as a unit and have smacked 86 baseballs out of the park. They have accounted for 432 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .304. As a unit, the Pittsburgh Pirates are putting up 3.5 runs/g, which puts them at 30th in the league.

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Their K/BB ratio is 2.64 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.24. Pirates pitchers have conceded 122 long balls and 517 total runs (15th in the league). Pittsburgh has allowed 979 base hits (8.2 per 9 innings) as well as 486 earned runs. The Pirates have a team ERA of 4.06 this year (17th in the league), and their staff has struck out 947 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 359 opposing players and their FIP is 3.97 as a squad for the season.

The Pirates bullpen have a save percentage of 56.8% and have stepped onto the mound in 100 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 177 base runners so far this year and 36.7% of those runners crossed home plate. Pirates relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on base 112 times and also have had 118 appearances in high leverage situations. The Pirates have dispatched 379 relief pitchers to the hill on the year. The relief pitchers have a total of 54 holds this season (25th in MLB). They have earned 25 saves this year and have blown 19 of their 44 save opportunities.

The Pirates have converted 70.8% of balls in play into outs in their 9,693 innings, which has them ranked 10th in the majors. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a tally of 3,231 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 1,009 assists and 56 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .987 which has them sitting 11th in the majors, and they have turned 87 double plays.

Burrows has taken the mound for 70 frames and is sitting with 71 strikeouts in his pro baseball career. His ERA is 4.61 (36 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.280. He has conceded 62 base hits (7.9 hits per 9 innings) and has 28 walks. Burrows (2-4 career record) has earned a FIP of 4.54 while going up against 301 hitters in the major leagues.

The Cubs have a team SLG% of .435 and they score 5.08 runs per game (3rd in the league). They have 196 doubles, while taking a walk 401 times as well as putting up 604 runs. Chicago has accumulated 169 home runs so far this season as well as 588 runs batted in. They have struck out on 924 occasions (27th in baseball) and have accounted for 1,030 hits. The Chicago Cubs are sitting with an OBP of .321 as well as a team batting average of .252 for the year.

The Chicago pitching staff have surrendered 488 runs for the season while having an ERA of 3.87 (454 earned runs relinquished). They have given up 148 long balls and they yield 4.16 runs per 9 innings (7th in the league). The Cubs have a team WHIP of 1.212 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.20 as a unit on the campaign. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 7.70 (900 strikeouts vs 305 walks). They rank 13th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 975.

Chicago has had bullpen pitchers step onto the hill in 40 save chances and they have walked away with 27 saves. They sit at 6th in MLB with a save percentage of 67.5%, and they have sent 390 relievers onto the field for the season. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 111 times in high leverage situations in addition to 81 occasions with runners on. Chicago relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 31.0% of 113 inherited base runners. Sitting with 121 save situations, the Cubs have 78 holds and 13 blown saves.

The Chicago Cubs have gotten 94 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .988 (7th in the majors). The Cubs have 991 assists, 50 errors and have amassed 3,170 putouts so far this year. Out of their 9,510 innings played, the Cubs have a defensive efficiency of 71.3% (4th in pro baseball).

So far in his MLB career, Imanaga has given up 225 base knocks while he has totaled 253 K's in 269 innings pitched. Imanaga (23-8 career mark) holds a 3.01 ERA and has surrendered 7.5 hits per nine innings. He has given up a total of 90 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.003 and a FIP of 3.0. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 5.62 and he has gone up against 1,071 opposing batters in his career.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+125)

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