Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Prediction, 8/26/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: Saturday, August 26, 2023

Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Pirates (57-71) are welcoming the Chicago Cubs (67-60) at PNC Park on Saturday. The pitchers taking the mound are Javier Assad and Osvaldo Bido.

Chicago is slugging .419 and have been called out on strikes 1,128 times, while being walked on 450 occasions. They have accounted for 614 RBI's and 1,095 base knocks on the campaign, while their team batting average is at .254. The Cubs have accounted for 204 doubles as a unit and have smacked 154 baseballs out of the stadium. They have 641 runs while having a team OBP of .330. As a team, the Chicago Cubs are notching 5.1 runs per contest, which is 5th in MLB.

Get all of our MLB Betting Picks

The Cubs are sitting with a team ERA of 4.18 so far this year (15th in the league), and their staff has rung up 1,049 batters. Cubs pitchers have conceded 142 home runs and 574 runs in total (17th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 399 opposing hitters and their FIP is 4.24 as a team so far this season. Chicago has yielded 1,043 hits (8.4 per 9 innings) and also 522 earned runs. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.63 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.28.

Cubs relief pitchers have entered the contest with opponents on base 100 times in addition to having 106 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have accumulated 64 holds so far this season (19th in the league). The Cubs bullpen have a save percentage of 71.1% and has come into the game in 103 save situations. They have recorded 27 saves on the year and have blown 11 of their 38 save chances. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 168 runners so far this year and 28.0% of them earned a run for their team. The Cubs have dispatched 396 relief pitchers to the mound this season.

The Chicago Cubs have a total of 3,372 putouts so far this season, in addition to 1,156 assists and 69 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .985 which puts them in 19th in baseball, and have 110 double plays. The Cubs have transformed 69.7% of balls hit into play into outs in their 10,116 innings on the diamond, which ranks them 9th in baseball.

Assad has taken the ball for 109 frames and has earned 83 strikeouts in his MLB career. Assad (4-4 career win-loss mark) holds a FIP of 4.61 and he has gone up against 461 opposing hitters in the major leagues. His earned run average is 3.12 (38 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.322. He has given up 95 base knocks (7.8 hits per 9 innings) and has 50 free passes.

Pittsburgh has accounted for 126 HRs so far this season as well as 515 runs batted in. They have hit 225 doubles, while getting a free base 454 times and notching 538 runs. The Pittsburgh Pirates are sitting with a team OBP of .314 in addition to a team batting average of .235 on the campaign. The Pirates hold a team slugging % of .388 and they score 4.20 runs per contest (24th in the league). They have been rung up on 1,136 occasions (10th in MLB) and have tallied 999 base hits.

The Pirates are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.400 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.36 as a squad so far this season. They have a ranking of 23rd in MLB as a pitching staff in total hits conceded with 1,110. The Pittsburgh pitching staff have relinquished 622 runs this year while holding a team ERA of 4.55 (570 earned runs conceded). Their K/BB ratio comes in at 8.80 (1,098 strikeouts vs 470 bases on balls). They have allowed 140 long balls and they relinquish 4.96 runs per 9 innings (22nd in the league).

Pittsburgh bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 32.1% out of their 193 inherited base runners. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 130 times in high leverage situations in addition to 130 occasions with runners on base. Sitting with 115 save situations, the Pirates have tallied 63 holds and 15 blown saves. They sit at 6th in MLB with a save rate of 69.4%, and they have dispatched 411 bullpen pitchers to the hill on the season. Pittsburgh has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the contest in 49 save chances and they have tallied 34 saves.

In 10,158 innings on the diamond, the Pirates hold a efficiency on defense of 67.8% (26th in MLB). The Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten 108 double plays and have a fielding rate of .983 (25th in professional baseball). The Pirates have accrued 1,063 assists, 76 errors and have amassed 3,386 putouts for the season.

In his MLB career, Bido has surrendered 47 hits while tallying 43 punch outs in 44 frames. Bido (2-4 mark in his career) has earned a 5.08 ERA and has surrendered 9.5 hits per 9 innings. He has allowed a total of 25 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.398 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.1. His K/BB ratio is 2.87 and he has gone up against 204 batters during his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Chicago

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here