Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates MLB Betting Tips and Best Bets

The Chicago Cubs (2-1) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1-2) meet Tuesday at PNC Park, starting at 4:12 PM ET. The Cubs are -135 moneyline favorites for the contest, however, the Pirates are favored against the spread of runs with odds. Chicago’s Drew Smyly gets the start, and he’ll go against Pittsburgh’s Jose Quintana.

Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: Predictions, Betting Odds, Spread, Line

Computer Predictions for Cubs vs. Pirates

Our computer pick: Pittsburgh Pirates (+115) and Over (8.5)

Cubs vs. Pirates Game Info

• Chicago Cubs probable starting pitcher: Drew Smyly
• Pittsburgh Pirates probable starting pitcher: José Quintana
• Game Day: Tuesday, April 12, 2022
• Game Time: 4:12 PM ET
• Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Stadium: PNC Park

Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Matchup

Cubs Starter Drew Smyly

• Smyly makes his first start of the season for the Cubs.
• The 32-year-old left-hander came out of the bullpen and threw three innings when he last appeared on Monday, Nov. 1 against the Houston Astros.
• Last season he finished with an 11-4 record, a 4.48 ERA and a 1.374 WHIP over his 29 games.

Pirates Starter José Quintana

• The Pirates will send out Quintana for his first start of the season.
• The last time the lefty took the mound was on Thursday, Sept. 23 last season, when he pitched 1 2/3 innings in a matchup with the San Diego Padres.
• He ended last season with a 6.43 ERA and a 1.730 WHIP in 29 games, finishing with a 0-3 record.

Cubs Betting Picks & Insights

• The Cubs were favorites in 63 games last season and won 37 (58.7%) of those contests.
• Chicago had a record of 24-11, a 68.6% win rate, when favored by -135 or more by bookmakers last season.
• Oddsmakers have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that the Cubs have a 57.4% chance to win.
• Last season, Chicago and its opponents hit the over in 74 of their 155 games with a total.
• The Cubs had an ATS record of 58-55-0 in 113 games with a spread last season.

Pirates Betting Picks & Insights

• The Pirates won in 51, or 34.9%, of the 146 contests they were named as odds-on underdogs in last year.
• Last season, Pittsburgh came away with a win 39 times in 117 chances when named as an underdog of +115 or worse on the moneyline.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Pirates have a 46.5% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.
• Contests with Pittsburgh went over the total set by oddsmakers in 76 of 157 chances last season.
• The Pirates went 49-63-0 against the spread in their 112 games with a line set by sportsbooks last season.

Cubs Leaders & Batting Stats

• Ian Happ drove in 66 RBI last season while batting .226.
• Jonathan Villar had a .249 batting average with 113 hits.
• Willson Contreras hit .237 a season ago with 20 doubles, 21 home runs and 52 walks.
• Frank Schwindel hit .326 with 20 doubles, a triple, 14 home runs and 16 walks.

Pirates Leaders & Batting Stats

• Bryan Reynolds put up a batting average of .302, with 24 home runs and 90 runs batted in last season.
• Kevin Newman hit .226 with 22 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 27 walks.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes hit .257 a season ago with 20 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 31 walks.
• Ben Gamel had 18 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 51 walks while hitting .247.

Betting Tips for Cubs vs. Pirates

After taking a look at all of the key statistics and trends for this matchup, our best bet is the Pirates on the moneyline at +115. Our computer prediction sees the scoring going over the total of 8.5 runs.