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Paul Skenes heads to the mound as the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Chicago Cubs. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Cubs-Pirates prediction and pick.
In game one of the series, the Cubs were dominant. They opened the scoring in the fourth inning on a Carson Kelly two-run home run. In the fifth, Pete Crow-Armstrong would hit a two-run shot to make it 4-0. Shota Imanga would leave the game with an apparent injury after five innings, but the Cubs kept rolling. They got home runs from Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson on their way to a 9-0 victory.
The Cubs and Pirates will play game two of the series on Wednesday.
Cubs-Pirates Projected Starters
Colin Rea vs. Paul Skenes
Colin Rea (1-0) with a 0.96 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP
Last Start: Rea went five innings in his last start, giving up three hits and two walks. He would strike out seven batters and not give up a run in the win.
Away Splits: Rea is 0-0 with a save on the road. He has a 1.39 ERA and a .310 opponent batting average.
Paul Skenes (3-2) with a 2.39 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP.
Last Start: Skenes went 6.1 innings, giving up five hits and striking out nine batters. He would not give up a run and take the win over the Dodgers.
Home Splits: Skenes is 1-2 at home with a 3.79 ERA and a .211 opponent batting average.
Here are the Cubs-Pirates MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cubs-Pirates Odds
Chicago Cubs: +1.5 (-164)
Moneyline: +128
Pittsburgh Pirates: -1.5 (+136)
Moneyline: -152
Over: 7.5 (-115)
Under: 7.5 (-105)
How to Watch Cubs vs. Pirates
Time: 12:35 PM ET/ 9:35 AM PT
TV: MARQ/SNP
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Cubs Will Cover The Spread/Win
Kyle Tucker has led the way for the Cubs this year. He is hitting .288 with a .397 OBP. He has eight doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 26 RBIs, eight stolen bases, and 26 runs scored. Also having a great year is Seiya Suzuki. Suzuki is hitting .298 with a .368 OBP. He has six doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 25 RBIs, and 17 runs scored. Pete Crow-Armstrong has also been solid. He is hitting .284 with a .325 OBP. He has ten doubles, a triple, six home runs, 21 RBIS, 12 stolen bases, and 23 runs scored.
Also hitting well is Michael Busch. He is hitting .284 with a .382 OBP. He has seven doubles, a triple, five home runs, 16 RBIs, and 15 runs scored. Dansby Swanson has also been solid. He is hitting just .185 but with a .240 OBP. He has five doubles, a triple, five home runs, 16 RBIs, and 18 runs scored. Finally, Ian Happ is hitting .258 with eight doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs, and 23 runs scored this year.
Why The Pirates Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Pirates are led by Oneil Cruz. Cruz is hitting .250 with a .362 OBP. He has three doubles, eight home runs, 16 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and 17 runs scored. Bryan Reynolds has also been solid. He is hitting .227 with a .288 OBP. He also has four doubles, three home runs, 14 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. Meanwhile, Ke'Bryan Hayes is hitting .235 with a .304 OBP. He has two doubles, a triple, a home run, 12 RBIs, and eight runs scored.
Further, Adam Fraizer has been solid this year. He is hitting .250 with a .312 OBP. He has three doubles, a home run, eight RBIs, and nine runs scored. Finally, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa is hitting .289 with a .343 OBP. He has three doubles, a triple, seven RBIs, six stolen bases, and ten runs scored this year.
Final Cubs-Pirates Prediction & Pick
Since joining the starting rotation, Colin Rea has been great. He has pitched 13.1 innings over three starts, giving up just two runs and three walks. He has not allowed a home run this year either. Current Pirates also have 56 career at-bats against Rea. They are 15-56 with three doubles, two home runs, and seven RBIs. Bryan Reynolds has been great against Rea, going 7-12 with two doubles, a home run, and four RBIs.
Meanwhile, Paul Skenes has been solid this year. He has given up two or fewer runs in five of his six starts, while giving up just one home run this year. Further, he has walked just four batters in 37.2 innings of work this season. Current members of the Cubs do not have a lot of success against Skenes. They are just 9-43 with a double, a home run, and two RBIs. Nico Hoerner has done the best, going 2-5 with a home run and an RBI. Expect both pitchers to pitch well in this game, and for it to be a lower-scoring affair. Take the under in this one.
Final Cubs-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Under 7.5 (-105)
