Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs Prediction, Preview and Odds - 06/14/2023

Game Time: 8:05 pm ET, Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Venue:  Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL 

Where to Watch:  MARQ

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +135, Cubs -155; Over/Under:  9 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +145, Cubs -170; Over/Under:  9 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Pirates +135, Cubs -160; Over/Under:  9 runs

Pittsburgh Pirates:  34-30 (1st place, NL Central)

Chicago Cubs:  28-37 (4th place, NL Central)

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Pittsburgh Pirates:  7-3 last 10

Chicago Cubs:  4-6 last 10

The Pirates are entering this game off of a win in their last game and won their 3-game series against the New York Mets 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 34-30 record overall and have a road record of 16-14. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Cubs on Wednesday with the series opener of this series still to be played on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 13th in the MLB with a .732 OPS. Luis Ortiz is their starting pitcher on Tuesday while rookie pitcher Osvaldo Bido is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA this season. He is making his MLB debut in this game as he was called up from the minors to start here.

The Cubs are entering this game off of a loss in their last game but won their 3-game series against the San Francisco Giants 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 28-37 record overall and have a home record of 15-16. This is the 2nd game of a 3-game series with the Pirates on Wednesday with the 1st game of this series still to be played on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 19th in the MLB with a .713 OPS. Jameson Taillon is their starting pitcher on Tuesday while Drew Smyly is making his start in this game on Wednesday. He is 5-4 with a 3.27 ERA this season. His team lost their last 3 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 earned runs, 1 homer, and 3 BB with 4 strikeouts on 7 hits through 6 innings played against the Los Angeles Angels.

The current betting odds have the Cubs listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cubs haven't been a great team this season with their losing record but they have been a lot better in their home games and they showed it on Tuesday night with a blowout win over the Pirates in a game where their offense came alive. The Pirates have been stumbling a bit lately in their games as they struggle to keep their lead in the NL Central and now their pitching is really thin too as they had to call up a rookie from the minors to make his MLB debut in this game. The Cubs lineup just put up a ton of runs on the Pirates Tuesday night and this game is going to be the same with their offense getting hot at home now and facing this inexperienced MLB starter. The Cubs also have Smyly starting here and he has been really good in his starts lately as he hasn't been giving up many runs all season. The Cubs have the better pitching matchup here and their offense is also getting really hot which will make them a very tough team to beat at home. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cubs to win this game.

Pirates Cubs Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Wednesday, June 14, 2023 (8:05 pm ET start time) is Cubs 8 Pirates 4.

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Pittsburgh Pirates: 34-31 (+6.8 units) on the moneyline in all games. 10-5 (+8 units) on the moneyline against division opponents. 16-8 OVER when the money line is +125 to -125. 11-6 OVER against left-handed starters. 

Chicago Cubs: 8-15 (-7.5 units) on the moneyline after a game where the bullpen gave up no earned runs. 18-28 (-10.3 units) on the moneyline against right-handed starters. 9-3 OVER against division opponents. 12-5 OVER after 2 or more consecutive overs. 

Pittsburgh Pirates:  V. Velasquez (SP) out for season - Elbow. W. Crowe (SP) Late June - Shoulder. J. Choi (1B) Early July - Achilles. J. Brubaker (SP) out for season - Elbow. O. Cruz (SS) Mid Aug - Ankle. J. Garcia (RP) Out indefinitely - Bicep. M. Kranick (SP) Late Aug - Elbow.

Chicago Cubs:  C. Heuer (RP) Late June - Elbow. N. Burdi (RP) Late June - Appendix. S. Suzuki (RF) Ques Tues - Undisclosed. J. Steele (SP) Prob Sat - Forearm. C. Bellinger (CF) Late June - Knee. E. Rios (DH) Out indefinitely - Groin. B. Boxberger (RP) Late June - Forearm. A. Sampson (SP) Out indefinitely - Knee. E. Roberts (RP) out for season - Elbow.

“When you see someone of his caliber of player that’s chasing a milestone and staying consistent with their approach 100%, there’s no better model for young players than watching a veteran player handle himself like that.” - Derek Shelton on Andrew McCutchen after his team’s win against the Mets in their game on Sunday.

“He was so in control of his pitches. It was just a next-level conviction in every pitch with him in control of things.” - David Ross after his team’s win against the Giants in their game on Saturday.

Andrew McCutchen (R) DH

Bryan Reynolds (S) LF

Connor Joe (R) RF

Carlos Santana (S) 1B

Jack Suwinski (L) CF

Ke'Bryan Hayes (R) 3B

Ji Hwan Bae (L) 2B

Tucupita Marcano (L) SS

Austin Hedges (R) C

Mike Tauchman (L) CF

Nico Hoerner (R) 2B

Christopher Morel (R) RF

Ian Happ (S) LF

Dansby Swanson (R) SS

Yan Gomes (R) C

Matt Mervis (L) 1B

Patrick Wisdom (R) DH

Nick Madrigal (R) 3B

Batting Average:  Drew Maggi (.333)

Hits:  Bryan Reynolds (65)

Home Runs:  Jack Suwinski (13)

RBI:  Bryan Reynolds (38)

Stolen Bases:  Ji Hwan Bae (19)

Wins:  Mitch Keller (8)

Saves:  David Bednar (14)

ERA:  Yerry De Los Santos (0.00)

Batting Average:  Nico Hoerner (.282)

Hits:  Nico Hoerner (67)

Home Runs:  Patrick Wisdom (14)

RBI:  Nico Hoerner (29)

Stolen Bases:  Nico Hoerner (14)

Wins:  Marcus Stroman (7)

Saves:  Adbert Alzolay (3)

ERA:  Adbert Alzolay (2.10)

Managers:

Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek Shelton (4th season)

Chicago Cubs: David Ross (4th season)