Friday, September 25, 2015

Wrigley Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Gerrit Cole (17-8) vs. Jon Lester (10-11)

The Chicago Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on Friday. The probable starters are Gerrit Cole for the Pirates and Jon Lester for the Cubs. The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at +109 and Chicago at -119. The over/under was set at 7.5. The Pirates, with a 68-84 run line record, cover the spread 45% of the time. They also have a 72-68 over/under record. The Cubs have a 69-74 over/under record and a 75-77 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 49% of the time.

The Pirates come into this game with a 92-60 record, and they are 42-35 away from home. Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole holds a 17-8 record with an earned run average of 2.64 and a WHIP of 1.10. In his starts, the Pirates are 21-9 over his 194 innings pitched this season while giving up 172 hits during those innings. The Pirates are also 11-17 against the over/under in his starts. He is getting 3.7 runs from the team when he takes the mound. The bullpen has given up 424 hits on the season and have an earned run average of 2.63. Teams are hitting .231 against the bullpen while being struck out 429 times and walking 149 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 8.47 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.05 batters per nine. They are 2nd in the league in team earned run average at 3.23.

As a team, Pittsburgh is batting .262, good for 8th in the league while putting together a .262 average away from home. The Pirates on-base percentage sits at .325, which puts them at 7th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .398. They rank 6th in baseball with 9.12 hits per game and Andrew McCutchen leads the team with 156.

With a 89-63 overall record, Chicago will come into this game 47-30 at home. With an earned run average of 3.46, Jon Lester will come into this game holding a 10-11 record and a 1.17 WHIP. In his starts, the Cubs are 16-14 and he has allowed 175 hits over 190 innings pitched this season. The Cubs are also 9-18 against the over/under in his starts. He is getting 3.6 runs from the team when he takes the mound. The bullpen has given up 432 hits on the season and have a team earned run average of 3.49. Teams are hitting .234 against the Cubs bullpen while being struck out 477 times and walking 174 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 8.06 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.76 batters per nine. They are 5th in the league in team earned run average at 3.51.

As a team, they are batting .245, good for 29th in the league while putting together a .239 average at home. The Cubs on-base percentage sits at .321, which puts them at 13th in the league and they have a team slugging percentage of .401. They rank 28th in baseball with 8.29 hits per game and Anthony Rizzo leads the team with 155.

In terms of team defense, the Pirates have a fielding percentage of .981 with 115 total errors, 1,770 assists and 4,193 put outs. For the home team, they hold a .982 team fielding percentage while committing 104 errors, accumulating 1,570 assists and compiling 4,108 put outs.

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 72-68 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 68-84 against the run line so far this season

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 69-74 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 75-77 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Pittsburgh Pirates

09/24/15 3B Aramis Ramirez Groin "?" Friday vs. Chicago Cubs
09/24/15 RF Gregory Polanco Ankle "?" Friday vs. Chicago Cubs
09/17/15 SS Jung Ho Kang Knee Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (9/21); out for season
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)

Chicago Cubs

08/25/15 P Jason Motte Shoulder 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)

Tony's Pick: Take the Pirates

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