Cubs vs. Pirates Prediction, Betting Tips & Picks 4/24/2022

After a four-hit game last time out, Nico Hoerner leads the Chicago Cubs (7-8) as -175 favorites against the Pittsburgh Pirates (7-8). Action gets underway from Wrigley Field at 2:20 PM ET on Sunday. Chicago’s Justin Steele and Pittsburgh’s JT Brubaker have been named the starters for this contest.

Cubs vs. Pirates Spread and Betting Line

Computer Predictions for Cubs vs. Pirates

Our computer pick: Pittsburgh Pirates (+150)

Cubs vs. Pirates Game Info

• Chicago Cubs probable starting pitcher: Justin Steele
• Pittsburgh Pirates probable starting pitcher: JT Brubaker
• Game Day: Sunday, April 24, 2022
• Game Time: 2:20 PM ET
• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• Stadium: Wrigley Field

Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Matchup

Cubs Starter Justin Steele

• Steele gets the start for the Cubs, his fourth of the season. He is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched.
• His last appearance was on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, when the left-hander went 2 2/3 innings, surrendering four earned runs while giving up three hits.
• In three games this season, the 26-year-old has an ERA of 4.50, with 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .261 against him.
• He meets a Pirates offense that ranks 17th in the league with 53 runs while batting .236 as a unit. It has a collective .354 slugging percentage (15th in MLB action) and has hit a total of 11 home runs (17th in MLB).

Pirates Starter JT Brubaker

• The Pirates’ Brubaker (0-2) will make his fourth start of the season.
• The right-hander’s last appearance was on Tuesday, when he threw five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, giving up two earned runs while allowing two hits.
• The 28-year-old has an ERA of 7.30, 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings and an opponent batting average of .220 in three games this season.
• Brubaker has made one start of five or more innings in three chances this season, and averages 4.0 frames when he pitches.
• The Cubs have scored 81 runs this season, which ranks first in MLB. They are batting .273 for the campaign with 12 home runs, 14th in the league.

Cubs Betting Picks & Insights

• The Cubs have won two of the five games they’ve played as favorites this season.
• Chicago has played as a favorite of -175 or more once this season and lost that game.
• The moneyline for this contest implies a 63.6% chance of a victory for the Cubs.
• Games involving Chicago have gone over the total set by bookmakers in seven of 15 chances this season.
• The Cubs are 9-6-0 against the spread in their 15 chances this season.

Pirates Betting Picks & Insights

• The Pirates have been chosen as underdogs in 12 games this year and have walked away with the win five times (41.7%) in those games.
• This year, Pittsburgh has won two of five games when listed as at least +150 or worse on the moneyline.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies the Pirates have a 40% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.
• Pittsburgh and its opponents have gone over the total this season in five of their 15 opportunities.
• The Pirates have an against the spread mark of 8-7-0 in 15 games with a line this season.

Cubs Leaders & Batting Stats

• Seiya Suzuki leads the Cubs with four home runs and 13 runs batted in, while putting up a team-high batting average of .372.
• Of all hitters in MLB, Suzuki is sixth in homers and fifth in RBI.
• Willson Contreras is batting .261 with four doubles, two home runs and six walks.
• Contreras is 41st in homers and 71st in RBI on the season.
• Hoerner is hitting .327 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and a walk.
• Jonathan Villar has two doubles and four walks while batting .350.
• Villar brings a two-game streak with at least one hit into this one. During his last five outings he is hitting .250 with a walk and four RBI.

Pirates Leaders & Batting Stats

• Daniel Vogelbach leads the Pirates with three home runs.
• In all of MLB, Vogelbach is 14th in home runs and 98th in RBI.
• Vogelbach brings a hitting streak of three games into this game. During his last five outings he is batting .278 with a double, two home runs, two walks and three RBI.
• Michael Chavis has capitalized on opportunities as he leads his team with seven runs batted in.
• Chavis is currently 41st in homers and 49th in RBI in the big leagues.
• Ke’Bryan Hayes has a team-high batting average of .333.
• Ben Gamel is batting .220 with a double, a home run and six walks.

Betting Tips for Cubs vs. Pirates

Our best bet is the Pirates on the moneyline at +150 after digging through all of the key trends and statistics for this matchup.