Monday, April 24, 2017

PNC Park

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Brett Anderson vs. Chad Kuhl

The Chicago Cubs visit PNC Park on Monday, April 24, 2017 to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. The probable starters are Brett Anderson for the Cubs and Chad Kuhl for the Pirates.

The opening line for this matchup has Chicago at -141 and Pittsburgh at +131. The Cubs have a 9-7-1 over/under record and a 7-10-0 run line mark. The Pirates are 9-8-0 against the run line and have a 7-10-0 over/under record.

Valuable Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 9-7-1 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 7-10-0 against the run line

Important Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 7-10-0 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 9-8-0 against the run line

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

04/23/17 2B Ben Zobrist Back is upgraded to expected to be in the starting lineup Sunday vs. Cincinnati Reds
04/17/17 2B Tommy La Stella Personal out indefinitely

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

04/18/17 CF Starling Marte Suspension 80-game suspension

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Cubs have a 10-7 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Brett Anderson has a 1-0 record with an earned run average of 4.40 and a WHIP of 1.47. He has 11 strikeouts over his 14.1 innings pitched and he's given up 16 hits. He allows 10 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.3. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.49 and they have given up 42 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .194 against the bullpen and they've struck out 69 hitters and walked 30 batters. As a team, Chicago allows 7.7 hits per nine innings while striking out 9.3 batters per nine innings. They are 15th in the league in team earned run average at 3.81. The Cubs pitchers collectively have given up 133 base hits and 66 earned runs. They have allowed 23 home runs this season, ranking them 8th in the league. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 60 batters and struck out 162. They have walked 3.5 men per 9 innings while striking out 9.3 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.24 and their FIP as a unit is 3.97.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other MLB games check out our handicapping tips.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Chicago is hitting .252, good for 9th in the league. The Cubs hold a .413 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .341, which is good for 3rd in baseball. They rank 7th in MLB with 8.8 hits per game. Anthony Rizzo is hitting .299 with an on-base percentage of .420. He has 20 hits this season in 67 at bats with 9 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .507 and an OPS+ of 154. Kris Bryant is hitting .229 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .329. He has totaled 16 hits and he has driven in 10 men in 70 at bats. His OPS+ is 99 while his slugging percentage is at .400. The Cubs have 150 hits, including 31 doubles and 19 home runs. Chicago has walked 69 times so far this season and they have struck out 161 times as a unit. They have left 135 men on base and have a team OPS of .753. They score 4.94 runs per contest and have scored a total of 84 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Pittsburgh has a 7-10 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 2.60, Chad Kuhl has a 1-1 record and a 1.15 WHIP. He has 14 strikeouts over the 17.1 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 13 hits. He allows 6.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 2.82. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.31 and they have given up 58 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .262 against the Pirates bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 44 batters and walked 14 opposing hitters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 9.2 hits per nine innings while striking out 7 batters per nine innings. They are 9th in the league in team earned run average at 3.69. The Pirates pitchers as a team have surrendered 155 base knocks and 62 earned runs this season. They have given up 17 home runs this year, which ranks 23rd in Major League Baseball. Pittsburgh as a staff has walked 46 hitters and struck out 118 batters. They give up a walk 2.7 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.33 while their FIP as a staff is 3.89.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .231, good for 21st in the league. The Pirates hold a .357 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .306, which is good for 20th in baseball. They rank 19th in MLB with 7.8 hits per contest. Andrew McCutchen comes into this matchup batting .262 with an OBP of .319. He has 17 hits this year along with 9 RBI in 65 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .462 with an OPS+ of 108. Josh Harrison is hitting .275 this season and he has an OBP of .362. He has collected 14 hits in 51 at bats while driving in 3 runs. He has an OPS+ of 96 and a slugging percentage of .353. The Pirates as a unit have 132 base hits, including 21 doubles and 15 homers. Pittsburgh has walked 52 times this year and they have struck out on 120 occasions. They have had 121 men left on base and have an OPS of .663. They have scored 3.53 runs per game and totaled 60 runs this season.

Who will win tonight's Cubs/Pirates MLB game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Cubs -141

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