Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs 8/30/2017 Free MLB Picks and Predictions

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Wrigley Field

Get todays MLB odds and lines on this game.

Probable Pitchers: Ivan Nova vs. Jose Quintana

The Pittsburgh Pirates head to Wrigley Field on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 to take on the Chicago Cubs. The expected starting pitchers are Ivan Nova for the Pirates and Jose Quintana for the Cubs.

The odds for this matchup have Pittsburgh at +178 and Chicago at -190. The Pirates have a 54-73-5 over/under mark and a 69-63-0 run line record. The Cubs are 54-76-0 against the run line and have a 61-62-7 over/under record.

Valuable Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 54-73-5 against the over/under

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 69-63-0 against the run line

Important Chicago Cubs Betting Trends

The Chicago Cubs are 61-62-7 against the over/under

The Chicago Cubs are 54-76-0 against the run line

Key Pittsburgh Pirates Injuries

08/29/17 LF Adam Frazier Hamstring 10-day DL (08/28)
08/27/17 C Francisco Cervelli Quad 10-day DL (08/26)
08/23/17 P Joaquin Benoit Knee 10-day DL (08/23)
08/22/17 P George Kontos Groin 10-day DL (08/20)
08/18/17 P Wade LeBlanc Quad 10-day DL (08/18)
08/16/17 RF Gregory Polanco Hamstring 10-day DL (08/13)

Key Chicago Cubs Injuries

08/18/17 P Justin Grimm Finger 10-day DL (08/18)
08/17/17 P Jon Lester Shoulder 10-day DL (08/17)
08/11/17 C Willson Contreras Hamstring 10-day DL (08/10)
08/04/17 SS Addison Russell Foot 10-day DL (08/03)

Useful Pitching Statistics

The Pirates have a 63-69 overall record this season. Starting pitcher Ivan Nova has a 11-11 record with an earned run average of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.25. He has 109 strikeouts over his 165.2 innings pitched and he's given up 180 hits. He allows 9.8 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.39. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.91 and they have given up 428 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .247 against the bullpen and they've struck out 404 hitters and walked 168 batters. As a team, Pittsburgh allows 9.3 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.7 batters per nine innings. They are 13th in the league in team earned run average at 4.26. The Pirates pitchers collectively have given up 1,218 base hits and 560 earned runs. They have allowed 151 home runs this season, ranking them 24th in the league. Pittsburgh as a pitching staff has walked 400 batters and struck out 1,015. They have walked 3 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.7 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.37 and their FIP as a unit is 4.21.

Hitting Statistics

As a team Pittsburgh is hitting .245, good for 26th in the league. The Pirates hold a .390 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .321, which is good for 19th in baseball. They rank 25th in MLB with 8.3 hits per game. Andrew McCutchen is hitting .279 with an on-base percentage of .371. He has 129 hits this season in 462 at bats with 74 runs batted in. He has a slugging percentage of .487 and an OPS+ of 123. Josh Harrison is hitting .275 this year and he has an on-base percentage of .343. He has totaled 130 hits and he has driven in 47 men in 472 at bats. His OPS+ is 103 while his slugging percentage is at .436. The Pirates have 1,097 hits, including 205 doubles and 127 home runs. Pittsburgh has walked 440 times so far this season and they have struck out 963 times as a unit. They have left 937 men on base and have a team OPS of .711. They score 4.21 runs per contest and have scored a total of 556 runs this year.

Useful Pitching Statistics

Chicago has a 70-60 overall mark this year. With an earned run average of 4.49, Jose Quintana has a 8-11 record and a 1.30 WHIP. He has 162 strikeouts over the 150.1 innings he's pitched. He's also given up 139 hits. He allows 8.3 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.03. The bullpen has an earned run average of 3.72 and they have given up 351 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .214 against the Cubs bullpen. Their relievers have struck out 477 batters and walked 207 opposing hitters. As a team, Chicago allows 8.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. They are 9th in the league in team earned run average at 4.04. The Cubs pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,037 base knocks and 520 earned runs this season. They have given up 161 home runs this year, which ranks 15th in Major League Baseball. Chicago as a staff has walked 452 hitters and struck out 1,139 batters. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.29 while their FIP as a staff is 4.26.

Hitting Statistics

As a team, they are batting .252, good for 19th in the league. The Cubs hold a .439 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .335, which is good for 8th in baseball. They rank 18th in MLB with 8.6 hits per contest. Kris Bryant comes into this matchup batting .289 with an OBP of .406. He has 129 hits this year along with 57 RBI in 446 AB's. He maintains a slugging percentage of .531 with an OPS+ of 142. Anthony Rizzo is hitting .275 this season and he has an OBP of .394. He has collected 130 hits in 472 at bats while driving in 93 runs. He has an OPS+ of 137 and a slugging percentage of .525. The Cubs as a unit have 1,115 base hits, including 219 doubles and 187 homers. Chicago has walked 493 times this year and they have struck out on 1,123 occasions. They have had 922 men left on base and have an OPS of .774. They have scored 4.98 runs per game and totaled 648 runs this season.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Pirates +178

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