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The Pittsburgh Pirates travel to Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs in a four-game set starting Thursday night. Both teams are coming off of a series loss, so they'll try and get back in the win column tonight.
The Pirates will go with righty Bryse Wilson for the series opener to try and avoid their fourth straight loss. Wilson was shipped to Pittsburgh from Atlanta at last year's trade deadline, but he hasn't had much of an impact since then. Wilson has yet to make it past the fifth inning in both of his starts this year, so the Cubs' lineup will look to knock the 24-year-old out of the game early for a third-straight start.
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The Cubs will start Mark Leiter Jr., who got hit around for seven runs in his last start before exiting in the fourth inning. Leiter Jr. is 31 years old and has spent most of his professional career in the minor leagues. Now, finally getting an opportunity to crack a starting rotation, he'll try to find some consistency Thursday against the Pirates. The Pirates only scored five total runs in their previous series, so Leiter Jr. will try to take advantage of Pittsburgh's slumping hitters.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Match Details
Fixture: Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs
Date & Time: Thursday, April 21, 7:40 p.m. EDT
Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Odds
The Pirates have lost 10 of 12 from the Cubs, dating back to last season. Even though Chicago put up just two runs in their last game, they rank 10th in the majors in total runs this season.
"BRYAN. REYNOLDS." - @ Pittsburgh Pirates
The over has been hit in each of the last five meetings between these two teams when the Pirates have visited Chicago, so look for this trend to continue Thursday.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Best Picks
Pick #1: Bryan Reynolds Over 0.5 Singles (-110)
Reynolds had a breakout year in 2021 when he hit .302 to go along with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs on a Pirates team that lost over 100 games. This year, the center fielder has yet to hit his stride, coming into Thursday with just a .227 average. Facing off against Mark Leiter Jr., Reynolds has favorable odds to record at least one single where he'll likely be batting out of the two-hole in the lineup.
Pick #2: Seiya Suzuki Over 1.5 Total Bases (+135)
Suzuki has been excellent since coming over from Japan, batting .387 with four home runs already in the early going.
"Hello, Pittsburgh. My name is Seiya Suzuki. Nice to meet you." - @ Chicago Cubs
In two games against the Pirates this year, Suzuki has already accumulated nine total bases.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Betting Prediction
The Pirates are 1-6 on the road to start. Don't expect their woes away from home to end during Thursday's series opener at Wrigley Field. With two subpar starting pitchers taking the hill, this game should see a decent amount of offense, particularly from the Cubs' bats.
Prediction: Chicago Cubs -1.5 (+122) & Over 8.5 Runs (-115)
