Tuesday, September 15, 2015

PNC Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Jason Hammel (8-6) vs. Gerrit Cole (16-8)

The Chicago Cubs take on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday at PNC Park. The Cubs send Jason Hammel to the mound to face Gerrit Cole of the Pirates. The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -103 and Pittsburgh at -107. The over/under was set at 7.5. The Cubs, with a 68-74 run line record, cover the spread 48% of the time. They also have a 64-69 over/under record. The Pirates have a 67-63 over/under record and a 63-79 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 44% of the time.

The Cubs head into this matchup with a 82-60 record, including 39-32 on the road. Starting pitcher Jason Hammel holds a 8-6 record with an earned run average of 3.59 and a WHIP of 1.12. The Cubs are 13-14 over his 153 innings pitched and he's also given up 136 hits over that time period. The Cubs are also 13-14 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates are averaging 4.2 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 411 hits on the season and have an earned run average of 3.62. Opposing teams are hitting .238 against the Cubs bullpen while walking 165 times and striking out 441 times. Chicago is averaging 8.71 strikeouts per game while getting 8.17 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 6th in baseball in team earned run average at 3.56.

Chicago ranks 30th in the league in team batting average at .243 while hitting .248 on the road. The Cubs on-base percentage sits at .319, which puts them at 14th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .401. Anthony Rizzo leads the team in hits with 143 while the team ranks 28th in baseball with 8.22 hits per game.

With a 49-22 home record, Pittsburgh will hope to improve on their 86-56 overall mark. With an earned run average of 2.54, Gerrit Cole will come into this game holding a 16-8 record and a 1.12 WHIP. The Pirates have a record of 19-9 over the 180.2 innings he's pitched during which he's given up 160 hits. The Pirates are also 10-16 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates score an average of 3.6 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has given up 404 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 2.73. Opposing teams are hitting .236 against the Pirates bullpen while walking 141 times and striking out 400 times. Pittsburgh is averaging 7.95 strikeouts per game while getting 8.42 hits per nine innings as a team. They rank 2nd in the league in team earned run average at 3.21.

They rank 8th in the league in team batting average with a .260 average while hitting .264 at home. The Pirates on-base percentage sits at .324, which puts them at 8th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .398. Andrew McCutchen leads the team in hits with 150 while the team ranks 8th in baseball with 9.06 hits a game.

In terms of team defense, the Cubs have a fielding percentage of .982 with 95 total errors, 1,455 assists and 3,832 put outs. The Pirates have committed 107 errors on the season with 1,662 assists and 3,917 put outs leading to a team fielding percentage of .981 on the year.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 64-69 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 68-74 against the run line so far this season

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 67-63 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 63-79 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago Cubs

08/25/15 P Jason Motte Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/24)
08/25/15 RF Jorge Soler Oblique Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (8/24)
07/29/15 P Neil Ramirez Abdominal Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/29)
04/06/15 P Jacob Turner Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)

Pittsburgh Pirates

09/13/15 LF Starling Marte Illness "?" Tuesday Gm #1 vs Chicago Cubs
09/02/15 P Casey Sadler Forearm Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (9/1)
08/08/15 P Deolis Guerra Knee Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (8/7)
07/19/15 CF Gorkys Hernandez Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/13)
06/24/15 RF Corey Hart Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (6/22)
05/07/15 LF Andrew Lambo Plantar Fasciitis Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/4)
04/06/15 P Brandon Cumpton Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)

Tony's Pick: Take the Pirates

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