Saturday, July 9, 2016

PNC Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Jon Lester vs. Chad Kuhl

The Chicago Cubs visit PNC Park on Saturday to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Jon Lester for the Cubs and Chad Kuhl for the Pirates. The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -172 and Pittsburgh at +162. The over/under was set at 8. The Cubs have a 43-38-4 over/under record and a 45-40-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 53% of the time. The Pirates are 42-44-0 against the run line and have a 51-34-1 over/under record. They cover the spread 49% of the time.

The Cubs head into this matchup with a 52-33 record, including 26-19 on the road. Starting pitcher Jon Lester has a 9-4 record with an earned run average of 2.67 and a WHIP of 1.05. He has 105 strikeouts over his 107.2 innings pitched and he has given up 88 hits so far this season. He has allowed 7.4 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.7. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.70 and they have given up 196 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .214 against the bullpen while being struck out 251 times and walking 104 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 7.02 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.81 batters per nine. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 3.14. The Cubs pitchers have collectively given up 601 base hits and 272 earned runs. They have allowed 84 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 261 batters and struck out 752. They walk 3.1 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.8 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.12 and their FIP as a unit is 3.79.

As a team, Chicago is batting .253, good for 16th in the league while putting together a .262 average away from home. The Cubs hold a .433 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .346 which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 15th in baseball with 8.64 hits per game. Anthony Rizzo comes into this game hitting .281 and his on-base percentage is at .402. He has 83 hits this season along with 51 runs scored and 61 runs batted in. He's struck out 54 times and has walked 48 times. Kris Bryant is hitting .277 and he has an on-base percentage of .373. He has totaled 88 hits so far while scoring 69 runs and he's driven in 64. He has walked 40 times and has struck out 86 times. The Cubs have 734 hits, including 151 doubles and 116 home runs. They've stolen 32 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 18 times. Chicago has walked 363 times this season and they've struck out 739 times as a unit. They've left 637 men on base and have a team OPS of .780. They score 5.22 runs per contest and have scored a total of 444 runs so far this year.

Pittsburgh comes into this matchup with a 22-19 home record and a 44-42 overall mark. With an earned run average of 4.09, Chad Kuhl has a 1-0 record and a 1.36 WHIP. He has 7 strikeouts over the 11 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 11 hits. He has allowed 9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.18. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.74 and they have given up 283 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .249 against the Pirates bullpen while being struck out 240 times and walking 119 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 9.18 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.12 batters per nine. They are 17th in the league in team earned run average at 4.35. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 787 base knocks and 373 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 98 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 300 hitters and struck out 610. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.1 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.41 while their FIP as a staff is 4.53.

As a team, they are batting .264, good for 10th in the league while putting together a .275 average at home. The Pirates hold a .411 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .336 which is good for 3rd in baseball. They rank 8th in baseball with 9.16 hits per contest. Starling Marte comes into this matchup batting .318 and he has an OBP of .362. He has 96 hits this year along with 45 runs scored and 31 RBI. He's struck out 69 times and has walked on 11 occasions. Gregory Polanco is hitting .291 and he has an OBP of .366. He has collected 86 hits so far while he's scored 50 runs and drove in 50. He has earned a walk 38 times and has punched out 70 times. The Pirates as a unit have 788 base hits, including 158 doubles and 80 homers. They have 63 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 22 times. Pittsburgh as a team has walked 280 times this year and they have struck out 718 times. They've had 638 men left on base and have an OPS of .746. They score 4.63 runs per game and have totaled 398 runs so far this season.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 43-38-4 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 45-40-0 against the run line so far this season

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 51-34-1 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 42-44-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago Cubs

07/08/16 P Jason Hammel Hand left last game, "?" for next scheduled start
07/06/16 C David Ross Concussion 7-day DL (7/5)
07/03/16 2B Chris Coghlan Ribs 15-day DL (7/3)
06/21/16 P Clayton Richard Finger 15-day DL (6/21)
06/20/16 CF Dexter Fowler Hamstring 15-day DL (6/19)
06/07/16 LF Jorge Soler Hamstring 15-day DL (6/6)
05/18/16 P Joe Nathan Elbow 60-day DL (5/17)
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

07/06/16 P Jon Niese Knee expected to start Sunday vs. Chicago Cubs
07/04/16 C Chris Stewart Knee 15-day DL (7/2)
07/04/16 P Jameson Taillon Shoulder 15-day DL (6/30)
06/14/16 P Gerrit Cole Tricep 15-day DL (6/9)
06/11/16 C Francisco Cervelli Hand 15-day DL (6/10)
05/24/16 P Ryan Vogelsong Eye 60-day DL (5/24)
03/31/16 C Elias Diaz Elbow 60-day DL (3/25)

Guy's Pick: Take the Cubs

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