Cubs vs. Pirates Best Bets: Odds, Predictions, Latest Stats and Trends for August 28

It’s Wednesday, August 28, and it’s a special day because baseball fans get to see the mustachioed phenom that is Paul Skenes. The rookie pitcher and the Pittsburgh Pirates (62-70) host the Chicago Cubs (67-66) in a National League Central game.

Skeptics have tried to criticize Skene’s season, but here are a few facts. The NL Rookie of the Year favorite’s worst statistical performances are three appearances in which he allowed 3 runs (twice) and 4 runs (once). That’s all. His ERA for the season is 2.16. Paul Skene’s started the All-Star Game for the National League. He’s must-see TV.

Meanwhile, the Cubs are still trying to clinch a wild card spot. They have won two games in a row and are currently 5.5 games out of that final postseason spot.

We have all the information and analysis you need to know before the game, including the latest information on catching the first pitch, projected pitcher matchups, lineup cards, recent team performance, player stats, and of course our predictions, tips, and best bets for the game from our modeling tools and expert teams.

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Game details and how to watch Cubs vs Pirates live today

● Date: Wednesday, August 28, 2024
● Time: 12:35pm EST
● Location: PNC Park
● City: Pittsburgh, PA
● TV/Streaming: MARQ, SNP, MLBN

Don’t miss a second of the action and stay up to date with the latest team stats and player news. Check out our daily MLB Schedule Pagealong with detailed matchup pages that are updated live in-game with every out.

Cubs vs. Pirates Odds

The latest odds from Wednesday morning:

● Money line: Cubs +140, Pirates -165
● Spread: Cubs +1.5 (-155), Pirates -1.5 (+125)
● Over/Under: 8 runs

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Current team statistics for Cubs vs. Pirates

● The Cubs have won 2 games in a row and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Chicago has a 31-37 road record at Wrigley Field this season. Their overall run differential for the season is +32.

● Pittsburgh has lost 2 games in a row. The Bucs have won their last 10 games, going 4-6. Pittsburgh has a 32-35 record at PNC Park. Their overall run differential for the season is -42.

Expected starting pitchers for Cubs vs. Pirates

● Today’s pitching duel (August 28): Kyle Hendricks against Paul Skenes

○ Boy: Hendricks (3-10, 6.33 ERA) allowed 71 earned runs and 117 hits and had 67 strikeouts in 101 innings.
○ Pirates: Skenes (8-2, 2.16 ERA) allowed 25 earned runs and 73 hits and had 130 strikeouts in 104 innings.

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The most important betting trends and insights before the Cubs vs. Pirates game on August 28, 2024

● Paul Skenes has won his last two starts. He has pitched 12 innings, allowing just 2 earned runs (1.50 ERA) and 15 strikeouts.

● Jared Triolo of the Bucs has a career record of 2-5 (.400) against Kyle Hendricks

● Kyle Hendricks is 0-1 in 3 starts this month. He has allowed 6 earned runs in 15.2 innings (3.45 ERA)

● The Cubs are 6-0-1 in the OVER in their last 7 games. In those 7 games they are 5-2 in the run line.

If you are looking for more important trends and statistics around spread, moneyline and total for every single game on today’s schedule, check out our MLB Top Trends Tool on NBC Sports!

Expert tips and predictions for Wednesday’s Cubs vs. Pirates game

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Our model calculates predictions around every moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB schedule based on data points such as past performance, player matchups, stadium information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is complete, we compare its projection to the latest betting odds for the game to determine a relative confidence level for each bet.

Here are the best bets our model predicts for today’s Cubs vs. Pirates game:

– Money line: NBC Sports stays away from a game on the moneyline

– Spread: NBC Sports is leaning towards a game against the Cubs on the run line

– Number of runs: NBC Sports is leaning towards a game on the total of over 8 runs

Want more MLB tips and predictions from our experts and tools? Check out the MLB expert predictions NBC Sports page with moneyline, spread and totals for each of the games on today’s schedule!

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