Sunday, April 16, 2017

Wrigley Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Jameson Taillon vs. Jon Lester

The Pittsburgh Pirates visit Wrigley Field on Sunday, April 16, 2017 to play the Chicago Cubs. The probable starters are Jameson Taillon for the Pirates and Jon Lester for the Cubs.

The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at +203 and Chicago at -220. The Pirates have a 4-5-0 over/under record and a 2-7-0 run line mark. The Cubs are 4-5-0 against the run line and have a 3-5-1 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 4-5-0 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 2-7-0 against the run line

Important Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 3-5-1 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 4-5-0 against the run line

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

04/01/17 P Brian Duensing Back 10-day DL (3/30)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Pirates have a 3-6 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Jameson Taillon has a 0-0 record with an earned run average of 1.38 and a WHIP of 1.00. He has 10 strikeouts over his 13 innings pitched and he's given up 9 hits. He allows 6.2 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.57. The bullpen has an earned run average of 5.94 and they have given up 40 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .290 against the bullpen and they've struck out 27 hitters and walked 11 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 10.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 6.6 batters per nine innings. They are 24th in the league in team earned run average at 4.59. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 92 base hits and 42 earned runs. They have allowed 9 home runs this season, ranking them 21st in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 29 batters and struck out 60. They have walked 3.2 men per 9 innings while striking out 6.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.47 and their FIP as a unit is 4.16.

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

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .225, good for 22nd in the league. The Pirates hold a .310 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .304, which is good for 21st in baseball. They rank 20th in MLB with 7.7 hits per game. Josh Harrison is hitting .259 with an on-base percentage of .333. He has 7 hits this season in 27 at bats with 2 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .296 and an OPS+ of 73. Starling Marte is hitting .270 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .317. He has totaled 10 hits and he has driven in 5 men in 37 at bats. His OPS+ is 81 while his slugging percentage is at .351. The Pirates have 69 hits, including 11 doubles and 5 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 30 times so far this season and they have struck out 67 times as a unit. They have left 71 men on base and have a team OPS of .615. They score 3.11 runs per contest and have scored a total of 28 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Chicago has a 6-3 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 1.64, Jon Lester has a 0-0 record and a 1.27 WHIP. He has 14 strikeouts over the 11 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 11 hits. He allows 9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 1.23. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.15 and they have given up 16 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .154 against the Cubs bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 33 batters and walked 17 opposing hitters. As a team, Chicago allows 6.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 10.1 batters per nine innings. They are 1st in the league in team earned run average at 2.3. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 57 base knocks and 21 earned runs this season. They have given up 7 home runs this year, which ranks 27th in Major League Baseball. Chicago as a staff has walked 35 hitters and struck out 92 batters. They give up a walk 3.8 times per 9 innings while they strike out 10.1 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.12 while their FIP as a staff is 3.21.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .247, good for 11th in the league. The Cubs hold a .364 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .341, which is good for 2nd in baseball. They rank 11th in MLB with 8.4 hits per contest. Kris Bryant comes into this matchup batting .229 with an OBP of .372. He has 8 hits this year along with 4 RBI in 35 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .314 with an OPS+ of 90. Kyle Schwarber is hitting .212 this season and he has an OBP of .381. He has collected 7 hits in 33 at bats while driving in 5 runs. He has an OPS+ of 126 and a slugging percentage of .455. The Cubs as a unit have 76 base hits, including 13 doubles and 7 homers. Chicago has walked 38 times this year and they have struck out on 83 occasions. They have had 73 men left on base and have an OPS of .705. They have scored 4.11 runs per game and totaled 37 runs this season.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Pirates +203

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