Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Prediction 8-24-23 MLB Picks

The Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates meet in the opener of their four-game NL Central division series in MLB action from PNC Park on Thursday. The Cubs have owned this series, winning all six meetings so far, can they make it seven? Let’s dive in and find out.

Cubs Win Series Vs. Detroit

The Chicago Cubs picked up a big series win when it comes to the playoff race in the National League, ending up with a 6-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. The win pushed the Cubs to 66-60 on the year, sitting 3.5 games back in the NL Central race and tied for the second and third Wild Card spots in the National League. Nico Hoerner leads the Cubbies with 136 hits along with 61 RBIs and a .277 batting average this season while Patrick Wisdom has belted a team-high 20 home runs for the Cubs this season. Ian Happ also leads the Cubs in two-baggers with 23 doubles this season. Dansby Swanson has 64 RBIs while Cody Bellinger’s added a team-high 67 RBIs and a .320 batting average this season. Justin Steele will start for the Cubs and is 14-3 with a 2.80 ERA and 127 strikeouts this season.

Chicago Cubs Team Facts

- The Cubs have won each of their last seven games against the Pirates.

- The Cubs have failed to cover the run line each of their last seven night games against teams that held a losing record.

- The Cubs have lost the first inning in each of their last three road games against NL Central opponents.

- The Cubs have led after 7 innings in each of their last seven games against the Pirates.

- The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Cubs' last seven road games against National League opponents.

Pirates Win Series Vs. Cardinals

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a chance for a solid sweep of a division rival in their series against the Cardinals, but despite a 6-4 loss in Wednesday’s series finale, the Pirates managed to walk out with a series win. After the loss, the Pirates dropped to 57-70 on the year, sitting 9.5 games back in the NL Wild Card race and 13 games off the pace in the NL Central race. Bryan Reynolds leads the Pirates with 119 hits and 62 RBIs with a .267 batting average while Jack Suwinski has a team-high 21 home runs and 54 RBIs this season. Andrew McCutchen also has a team-best .378 OBP this season. The Pirates did not have a starting pitcher announced at the time that this article was posted.

Pittsburgh Pirates Team Facts

- The Pirates have lost nine of their last 10 games against the Cubs following a loss.

- The Pirates have covered the run line in each of their last six home games following a loss.

- The 'Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the last four games between the Cubs and Pirates.

Matchup/League Facts

- The Pittsburgh Pirates ranks 27th in the league for hits this season (993).

- The Pittsburgh Pirates ranks 4th in the league for walks this season (449).

- The Chicago Cubs are one of only 3 teams in the league to rank top 10 in both steals and batting average this season.

- The Chicago Cubs ranks 5th in the league for runs scored this season (636).

Chris’ Pick

I’m looking at the Cubs here. I like the confidence the Pirates are playing with, but they’ve struggled against lefties over the last month and Steele’s one of the best lefties in baseball. The Cubs have also owned this series so far in 2022, going 6-0 in the first 6 meetings and I think they add to those numbers here. Give me the Cubs.