Cubs vs. Pirates Betting Odds, Pitching Matchup – May 16, 2024

A pair of division rivals take the field Thursday when the second-place Chicago Cubs (25-19) host the third-place Pittsburgh Pirates (19-25). Bookmakers favor the Cubs (-138) for the contest, which starts at 7:40 PM ET on MARQ. Justin Steele will get the ball for Chicago while Pittsburgh will counter with Jared Jones.

Be sure to check out our preview for this tilt, and discover all of our MLB betting picks, too!

Cubs vs. Pirates Betting Lines

• Favorite: Cubs (-138)
• Underdog: Pirates (+117)
• Over/under: 7.5

Cubs vs. Pirates Betting Insights

• The Cubs have been chosen as favorites in 16 games this year and have walked away with the win 10 times (62.5%) in those games.
• Chicago has a record of 6-1 when favored by -138 or more this year.
• The Cubs have an implied victory probability of 58% according to the moneyline set by sportsbooks for this matchup.
• The Pirates have won 12 of the 25 games they were listed as the moneyline underdog this season (48%).
• When playing as a moneyline underdog with odds of +117 or longer, Pittsburgh has gone 7-6 (53.8%).
• Based on this matchup’s moneyline, the Pirates’ implied win probability is 46.1%.

Cubs vs. Pirates Hitting Leaders

• Nico Hoerner leads Chicago with a .269 batting average.
• Among all hitters in MLB, Hoerner’s home run total ranks him 208th and his RBI tally ranks him 185th.
• Christopher Morel is batting .212 this season with a team-high nine home runs and 28 RBI.
• Connor Joe paces the Pirates with 22 runs batted in while accumulating a team-high batting average of .286.
• Among all hitters in MLB, Joe’s home run total puts him 55th, and his RBI total ranks 50th.
• Bryan Reynolds is hitting .250 with 11 doubles, a triple, five home runs and 24 walks.

Cubs vs. Pirates Pitching Rankings

• The Cubs average 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings as a pitching staff, eighth-most in the league.
• The Cubs have the 11th-ranked ERA (3.69) in the majors this season.
• The Cubs have a combined WHIP of 1.294 as a pitching staff, which ranks 17th in MLB.
• The 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings compiled by the Pirates pitching staff ranks 12th in the majors.
• Pittsburgh has a 4.05 team ERA that ranks 17th among all MLB pitching staffs.
• The Pirates average MLB’s 16th-ranked WHIP (1.284).