Free MLB Pick: Pirates vs. Cubs Odds
Looking for Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs Free MLB predictions? MLB betting sees the Pirates taking on the Cubs on Tuesday, May 17th, 2022 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all MLB baseball matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily MLB predictions like this Pirates-Cubs free pick.
2022 MLB Handicapping
(15-20) Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs (14-20)
Date: Tuesday, May 17th, 2022
Time: 7:40 PM ET
Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Projected Pitchers: JT Brubaker (PIT) vs. Keegan Thompson (CHC)
MLB Moneyline Odds: Pirates +125 Cubs -135
MLB run line Betting Odds: Pirates +1.5 Cubs -1.5
MLB Baseball Gambling Total: O/U: 7
NL Central baseball sees the Pirates in Chicago to take on the Cubs on Tuesday, May 17th.
The first pitch is at 7:40 ET from Wrigley Field.
JT Brubaker is going up against Keegan Thompson here.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates have not played well this season but it has not seemed as bad as in past seasons. It is certainly realistic to expect that they could be worse off right about now.
This is a team that has been such a doormat for so long now that you just expect them to struggle. It has been quite some time since they have been all that relevant.
Coming into this ball game, the Buckos have a record of 15-20 and are 3rd in the NL Central. I am sure there are plenty of folks that thought they would be in the basement of their division at this point in the season.
There is no question that Pittsburgh does have some talented players and pieces for the future but they are still a long way away from being where they want to be. I would not say they are totally devoid of talent but they definitely could use top-end players.
As you look at their team, neither side of the ball is all that good. Pitching has been a huge issue for some time now and the offense is mediocre at best. That combo sure as hell is not going to win you many games.
The Pirates certainly did not start off the series with their rival all that well with a 9-0 loss. It is one thing to lose to them, but they really should not be losing by that much.
Dillon Peters lasted just 0.2 innings and allowed 5 earned runs on Monday. After he left, the bullpen was fine but that did not matter because of the hole they already were in.
JT Brubaker will get the ball in this one and he really will be looking to get back on track. Currently, he is 0-3 with an inflated ERA of 5.34.
Chicago Cubs
Just like their opponent, the Cubs have not been playing at a high level in 2022. Realistically, that is what we expected.
It is totally accepted that the Cubs are in re-build mode and the chances of them being all that competitive for the next multiple years are slim. If that turned out to be different, I think a lot of people would be surpried.
As is often the case when a team gets stripped down, it takes time to get back to relevance. A team has to see what players they have that they want to keep for the future, who they will get rid of, who to acquire, etc. It is not as simple as tearing it down and getting back to being competitive.
Just like with the Pirates, the Cubs have players that they feel will be here for a while and they can build around but they still need other proven players to join them. It is good to have prospects that will develop but they cannot be totally relied upon.
There are a lot of areas that they need work in but one that really stands out is the pitching department. It seems like you can say that about a lot of teams but the reality is, that a lot of clubs are lacking in that area.
Quite frankly, their rotation does not do a lot for me and neither does their bullpen. If they do not make changes to those areas, it is not very realistic to expect they will just become a better team.
After winning the series with a better than expected Arizona team, Chicago did just what they needed to do on Monday against the Pirates. They jumped on their starter and never looked back which they will look to do again here.
Wade Miley tossed 7 innings of 1-hit ball on Monday, which is encouraging to see. Keegan Thompson will look to follow that method in game 2.
MLB Baseball Betting Trends:
- The Pirates are 16-40 in their last 56 road games vs. a team with a losing record.
- The Pirates are 0-4 in their last 4 Tuesday games.
- The Cubs are 4-1 in their last 5 overall.
- The Cubs are 2-5 in their last 7 games as a home favorite.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs MLB Prediction:
Pittsburgh played about as bad as they could play in the opener and there is no guarantee that will be all that much better in this one.
Brubaker has been rough this year and I do not see him being any better on Tuesday. He will have an awfully hard time slowing down the Cubs.
I look for Thompson to keep up his good pitching but I could still see the Pirates getting some runs. It would not surprise me if the offense was plenty here.
Give me the over in this one.
4* Free MLB Betting Pick: Over 7
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