Tuesday, May 3, 2016

PNC Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Jake Arrieta vs. Jon Niese

The Chicago Cubs visit PNC Park on Tuesday to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Jake Arrieta for the Cubs and Jon Niese for the Pirates. The Cubs have a 13-8-2 over/under record and a 16-7-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 70% of the time. The Pirates are 14-11-0 against the run line and have a 16-9-0 over/under record. They cover the spread 56% of the time.

The Cubs head into this matchup with a 17-6 record, including 10-3 on the road. Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta has a 5-0 record with an earned run average of 1.00 and a WHIP of 0.78. He has 32 strikeouts over his 36 innings pitched and he has given up 18 hits so far this season. He has allowed 4.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 2.85. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.11 and they have given up 36 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .181 against the bullpen while being struck out 68 times and walking 19 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 6.26 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.88 batters per nine. They are 2nd in the league in team earned run average at 2.49. The Cubs pitchers have collectively given up 143 base hits and 55 earned runs. They have allowed 15 home runs this season and they allow 0.7 homers per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 58 batters and struck out 203. They walk 2.5 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 0.98 and their FIP as a unit is 2.92.

As a team, Chicago is batting .251, good for 13th in the league while putting together a .276 average away from home. The Cubs hold a .421 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .359 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 13th in baseball with 8.43 hits per game. Anthony Rizzo comes into this game hitting .220 and his on-base percentage is at .385. He has 18 hits this season along with 16 runs scored and 24 runs batted in. He's struck out 15 times and has walked 19 times. Kris Bryant is hitting .287 and he has an on-base percentage of .374. He has totaled 25 hits so far while scoring 17 runs and he's driven in 16. He has walked 10 times and has struck out 21 times. The Cubs have 194 hits, including 42 doubles and 28 home runs. They've stolen 14 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 5 times. Chicago has walked 124 times this season and they've struck out 179 times as a unit. They've left 179 men on base and have a team OPS of .780. They score 6.04 runs per contest and have scored a total of 139 runs so far this year.

Pittsburgh comes into this matchup with a 7-4 home record and a 15-10 overall mark. With an earned run average of 5.08, Jon Niese has a 3-0 record and a 1.48 WHIP. He has 22 strikeouts over the 28.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 33 hits. He has allowed 10.5 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 5.79. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 4.37 and they have given up 85 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .240 against the Pirates bullpen while being struck out 82 times and walking 48 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 8.52 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.09 batters per nine. They are 19th in the league in team earned run average at 4.10. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 218 base knocks and 105 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 32 home runs this year and they give up 1.3 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 109 hitters and struck out 207. They give up a walk 4.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.1 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.42 while their FIP as a staff is 4.60.

As a team, they are batting .290, good for 1st in the league while putting together a .286 average at home. The Pirates hold a .446 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .375 which is good for 1st in baseball. They rank 1st in baseball with 10.36 hits per contest. Andrew McCutchen comes into this matchup batting .227 and he has an OBP of .342. He has 22 hits this year along with 17 runs scored and 10 RBI. He's struck out 26 times and has walked on 15 occasions. Starling Marte is hitting .327 and he has an OBP of .375. He has collected 34 hits so far while he's scored 16 runs and drove in 13. He has earned a walk 3 times and has punched out 23 times. The Pirates as a unit have 259 base hits, including 56 doubles and 24 homers. They have 17 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 9 times. Pittsburgh as a team has walked 110 times this year and they have struck out 195 times. They've had 217 men left on base and have an OPS of .821. They score 5.32 runs per game and have totaled 133 runs so far this season.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 13-8-2 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 16-7-0 against the run line so far this season

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 16-9-0 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 14-11-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago Cubs

04/28/16 C Miguel Montero Back 15-day DL (4/25)
04/08/16 C Kyle Schwarber Knee 60-day DL (4/8); out for season
04/04/16 P Aaron Brooks Hip 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 3B Christian Villanueva Fibula 15-day DL (3/25)
04/04/16 P Dallas Beeler Shoulder 15-day DL (3/25)
03/31/16 P Zac Rosscup Shoulder 60-day DL (2/25)

Pittsburgh Pirates

04/14/16 P Cory Luebke Hamstring 15-day DL (4/14)
04/04/16 3B Jung-ho Kang Knee 15-day DL (3/25)
03/31/16 C Elias Diaz Elbow 15-day DL (3/25)

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn