Wednesday, September 28, 2016

PNC Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Jake Arrieta vs. Jameson Taillon

The Chicago Cubs head to PNC Park on Wednesday to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable pitchers are Jake Arrieta for the Cubs and Jameson Taillon for the Pirates. The opening line for this game has Chicago at -171 and Pittsburgh at +161. The over/under is 7.5. The Cubs have a 70-78-8 over/under mark and a 83-73-0 run line record, meaning they cover 53% of the time. The Pirates are 72-84-0 against the run line and have a 86-66-4 over/under record. They cover the spread 46% of the time.

The Cubs head into this game with a 100-56 record, and they are 43-32 on the road. Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta has a 18-7 record with an ERA of 2.85 and a WHIP of 1.05. He has 186 strikeouts during his 192.1 innings pitched and he has given up 128 hits so far this year. He has surrendered 6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.45. The bullpen this season has an earned run average of 3.47 and they have allowed 353 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .209 against the pen while they've been struck out 498 times and walked 190 times this year. As a unit, Chicago has given up 6.89 base hits per nine innings while striking out 8.9 hitters per nine. They are 1st in the Majors in team earned run average at 3.07. The Cubs pitchers have collectively given up 1,082 base hits and 485 earned runs. They have allowed 160 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 474 batters and struck out 1,396. They walk 3 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.10 and their FIP as a unit is 3.77.

As a team, Chicago is hitting .257, good for 13th in the league while putting together a .261 average on the road. The Cubs have a .430 team slugging percentage and an OBP of .344 which is good for 2nd in the league. They rank 12th in baseball with 8.77 hits per contest. Kris Bryant comes into this game hitting .295 and his on-base percentage is at .389. He has 174 hits this season along with 120 runs scored and 101 runs batted in. He's struck out 151 times and has walked 74 times. Anthony Rizzo is hitting .293 and he has an on-base percentage of .388. He has totaled 166 hits so far while scoring 91 runs and he's driven in 105. He has walked 74 times and has struck out 104 times. The Cubs have 1,368 hits, including 284 doubles and 193 home runs. They've stolen 63 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 33 times. Chicago has walked 629 times this season and they've struck out 1,294 times as a unit. They've left 1,179 men on base and have a team OPS of .774. They score 4.99 runs per contest and have scored a total of 779 runs so far this year.

Pittsburgh comes into this game with a 37-41 home mark and a 77-79 overall record. With an ERA of 3.49, Jameson Taillon has a 4-4 record and a 1.14 WHIP. He has 81 strikeouts over the 98 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 98 hits. He has allowed 9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.6. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.43 and they have given up 534 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .246 against the Pirates bullpen while being struck out 521 times and walking 226 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 9.26 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.65 batters per nine. They are 17th in the league in team earned run average at 4.21. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,444 base knocks and 656 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 174 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 511 hitters and struck out 1,193. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.39 while their FIP as a staff is 4.28.

As a team, they are batting .258, good for 10th in the league while putting together a .270 average at home. The Pirates hold a .405 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .333 which is good for 4th in baseball. They rank 9th in baseball with 8.87 hits per contest. Andrew McCutchen comes into this matchup batting .258 and he has an OBP of .338. He has 149 hits this year along with 81 runs scored and 75 RBI. He's struck out 139 times and has walked on 67 occasions. Starling Marte is hitting .311 and he has an OBP of .362. He has collected 152 hits so far while he's scored 71 runs and drove in 46. He has earned a walk 23 times and has punched out 104 times. The Pirates as a unit have 1,383 base hits, including 273 doubles and 150 homers. They have 105 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 44 times. Pittsburgh as a team has walked 542 times this year and they have struck out 1,278 times. They've had 1,132 men left on base and have an OPS of .738. They score 4.54 runs per game and have totaled 709 runs so far this season.

Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 70-78-8 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago Cubs are 83-73-0 against the run line so far this season

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 86-66-4 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 72-84-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago Cubs

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

Pittsburgh Pirates

09/26/16 RF Gregory Polanco Concussion "?" Tuesday vs. Chicago Cubs
09/25/16 P AJ Schugel Shoulder 60-day DL (9/23)
09/24/16 LF Starling Marte Back likely out for season
09/14/16 C Chris Stewart Knee 60-day DL (9/13)
09/14/16 C Elias Diaz Knee 60-day DL (9/13), out for season
09/14/16 P Gerrit Cole Elbow 60-day DL (9/13), out for season
09/12/16 2B Josh Harrison Groin 60-day DL (9/10), out for season

Tony's Pick: Take the Pirates

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