An NL Central divisional battle will be in store on this Friday as the Chicago Cubs take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Join us for our MLB odds series where our Cubs-Pirates prediction and pick will be revealed.

Who could've thought it, but the Chicago Cubs are in a prime position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020. After a couple years in between that saw the Cubbies struggle mightily, they have put the proper pieces together this season and have been one of the league's best teams since the All-Star Break with a 22-12 record. As it stands, the Cubs are three games behind the Brewers for the division lead and maintain a firm grip at the second Wild-Card spot out in the National League. Getting the start in this one for the Cubbies will be longtime hurler Kyle Hendricks who is 5-6 with a 3.83 ERA.

On the other side of things, the Pittsburgh Pirates have fallen on hard times and are eager to get to the offseason. With the third-worst record in the NL at 57-71, the Pirates lost the opening game of this series to the Cubs by a score of 5-4 and have now lost two straight. All together, Pittsburgh is 4-6 in their last ten and are a whopping 13.5 games behind Milwaukee for the division lead. In line for the start in this one will be RHP Mitch Keller who is 10-8 with a 4.22 ERA.

Here are the Cubs-Pirates MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Cubs-Pirates Odds

Chicago Cubs: -1.5 (+140)

Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-170)

Over: 9 (-105)

Under: 9 (-115)

How To Watch Cubs vs. Pirates

TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh/Marquee Sports Network

Stream: MLB.TV

Time: 7:07 ET/4:07 PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Cubs Could Cover The Spread

Go, Cubs, Go! Believe it or not, but with their win over the Pirates on Thursday, the Cubs improved to a perfect 7-0 versus their divisional counterparts on the season. While an unblemished record would be enough of a reason for Chicago to cover the spread, they will still need to bring their A-game out on the diamond.

Above all else, the odds of covering the spread on this Friday evening will fall on the shoulders of starter Kyle Hendricks. In his last three starts, Hendricks has gone 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA and has done a splendid job in keeping opposing hitters off-balance. Career-wise against the Pirates, Hendricks has posted a 3.69 ERA in a whopping 27 career starts versus Pittsburgh.

If there is one man for the job in helping his team cover the spread and jump out to a 2-0 series lead over the “Buccos”, look no further than the resurgent Cody Bellinger who has truly found himself a home in the Windy City. A year ago, it was Bellinger who was completely lost at the plate en route to a porous .210 batting average. Now, he leads the club with a phenomenal .320 average which also ranks as the sixth highest in all of baseball. Little by little, Bellinger is finally returning to MVP form from his magical 2019 season.

Why The Pirates Could Cover The Spread

Although the Pirates don't have that much to play for the rest of the way out, I am sure that they are getting restless in their winless streak versus such a hated rival in the Cubs. Not a whole lot has gone right this season, but Pittsburgh can feel better about themselves if they can finally earn a triumphant victory over Chicago on Friday.

In order to receive a victory and cover the spread in the process, be on the lookout for outfielder Joshua Palacios to continue on his hot streak at the plate. After playing 42 games with the Nationals and Blue Jays the previous two seasons, it was the Pirates decided to take a flyer on the outfielder with pop and it has paid off the last few games. Even though he is only hitting .207 this season, he has crushed a pair of home runs in his last four games and has also combined for seven RBIs over that span as well. Without a doubt, Palacios could be the secret ingredient to finally knocking off the Cubbies.

Clearly, it would also help if Mitch Keller can finally get the monkey off his back. Earlier in the season, he was Pittsburgh's bonafide ace, but he has gone down in defeat in all of his starts since the All-Star Break. With a 2-4 record and 5.12 ERA in nine career games against the Cubs, it's about time that Keller reverses the tide and outs together a solid outing.

Final Cubs-Pirates Prediction & Pick

There's no denying that these two don't like each other. However, it seems foolish to bet against the Cubs in anything right now considering how hot they've been. Side with the Cubbies to take care of business in this one.

Final Cubs-Pirates Prediction & Pick: Cubs -1.5 (+140)