The Pittsburgh Pirates will face the Chicago Cubs in MLB action on Sunday (September 25).
The Pirates are last in the National League Central with 56 wins and have a winning percentage of 0.368. They are not doing great at home and are 2-8 in their last ten matchups.
The Cubs, meanwhile, are in third place in the National League Central with 66 wins and a win rate of 0.434. They have a poor away record of 35-42 and are 6-4 in their last ten matchups.
The Pirates have struggled this season. For scoring, they;ve been primarily dependent on Bryan Raynolds. He has an OPS of 0.808 with 59 RBIs and 25 home runs. The pitching has been sub par, with most pitchers having an ERA of over 4.00 and WHIP over 1.00.
The Cubs, meanwhile, have been doing well this season but have lacked consistency. Nico Hoerner has contributed to the scoring with an OPS of 0.759 at an average of 0.291. He is injured currently, so in his absence, other players will need to step up and deliver.
Justin Steele has performed the pitching duties. He has an ERA of 3.18, 126 Ks and a WHIP of 1.35. The dependency on Steele has been immense, so his absence creates a void in the team.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Match Details
Fixture: Chicago Cubs @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Date & Time: Sunday, September 25; 1:10 pm EDT
Venue:PNC Park • Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs odds
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs best picks
Luis Ortiz will start for the Pirates. He hasn't played much, but his stats are decent, and he will look to make an impact in this game. He has an ERA and a WHIP of 0.84. In the last seven days, he has an ERA of 1.80 and 5 Ks.
Adrian Sampson will be on the mound for the Cubs. He has done decently in the last seven days. He pitched seven innings against the Pirates and has given up two earned runs with three Ks.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Prediction
Both teams are struggling at the moment. The Cubs will try to exploit the inexperience of the Pirates' starting pitcher. The Pirates, meanwhile, will try to exploit the Cubs to try and score as big as they did in the last game.
Momentum is with the Pirates, and they are the favorites to win the game.