Thursday, September 17, 2015

PNC Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Kyle Hendricks (7-6) vs. Charlie Morton (9-7)

The Chicago Cubs visit PNC Park on Thursday to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Kyle Hendricks for the Cubs and Charlie Morton for the Pirates. The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at +122 and Pittsburgh at -132. The over/under was set at 8. The Cubs, with a 70-74 run line record, cover the spread 49% of the time. They also have a 65-70 over/under record. The Pirates are 63-81 against the run line and have a 68-64 over/under record. They cover the spread 44% of the time.

The Cubs come into this game with a 83-61 record, and they are 40-33 away from home. Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks holds a 7-6 record with an earned run average of 4.08 and a WHIP of 1.22. The Cubs are 16-12 over his 159 innings pitched and he's also given up 153 hits over that time period. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 15-13. The team is averaging 4.1 runs when he starts. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.59 and they have given up 412 base hits on the year. The bullpen has struck out 447 and walked 166 batters this season while opposing teams hit .237 against them. Chicago has a team average of 8.14 hits allowed per game and are averaging 8.73 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 3.55, they are 6th in the league.

Chicago is batting .242 as a team, which is good for 30th in the league and hitting .247 away from home. The Cubs hold a .399 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .318 which is good for 14th in baseball. With 144 hits, Anthony Rizzo leads the team while his team ranks 29th in hits per game with 8.2.

With a 87-57 overall record, Pittsburgh will come into this game 50-23 at home. With an earned run average of 4.02, Charlie Morton will come into this game holding a 9-7 record and a 1.27 WHIP. The Pirates have a record of 13-7 over the 118.2 innings he's pitched during which he's given up 114 hits. Their record against the over/under when he starts is 7-11. The team is averaging 4.2 runs when he takes the field. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.70 and they have given up 404 base hits on the year. The Pirates bullpen has struck out 408 batters and walked 142 this season while opposing teams have hit .234 against them. Pittsburgh has a team average of 8.4 hits per game and are averaging 8 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 3.20, they are 2nd in the league.

They are batting .260 as a team, which is good for 8th in the league and hitting .262 at home. The Pirates hold a .395 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .323 which is good for 9th in baseball. With 153 hits, Andrew McCutchen leads the team while his team ranks 8th in hits per game with 9.01.

Chicago has a team fielding percentage of .982 after having committed 96 errors with 1,476 assists and 3,883 put outs for the season. Over the course of this season, the Pirates have accumulated 109 errors while having 1,676 assists and 3,971 put outs leading to a .981 fielding percentage.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 65-70 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 70-74 against the run line so far this season

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 68-64 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 63-81 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

09/02/15 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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