Neither the Pirates nor Cubs look postseason bound, but they're currently battling with each other for standing in the NL Central. The Cubs were able to gain ground with 1 of the most surprising series upsets over the Phillies this past weekend. Meanwhile, the Pirates lost their 1st series of the 2nd half of the season to the Marlins. With last night's win, the Cubs have an opportunity to leapfrog the Pirates in the division. Along with this same game parlay, be sure to check out our thoughts on the side and total for all of today's games.
Cubs ML (-180)
Willson Contreras 2+ total bases (-105)
Ian Happ 2+ total bases (+105)
Parlay odds: +400
Let's take a closer look at each leg of our same game parlay.
Cubs ML (-180)
The Cubs look to be in a prime position to send the Pirates out of town with a loss. After upsetting the Mets in the last game before the all-star break, Chicago seems to have found a spark. They still have their inconsistencies, but the Pirates seem to have more. While both sides have had struggling pitching staffs, the Cubs have been much more consistent at the plate. That's especially true with Pittsburgh's Bryan Reynolds not being 100% healthy. Similarly, this is a game in which Chicago's pitching woes won't be nearly as prominent.
Keegan Thompson was scheduled to start last night's game, but was given another day of rest to start this one. He hasn't had the best month, but he's pitched against great lineups like the Mets and Dodgers. However, he's been dominant against the Pirates. He led the team to a convincing 14-5 win just over a month ago, along with a 7-0 win in mid-May. Thompson allowed just a single run across 11.0 innings while striking out 12 Pirates. Pittsburgh's Bryse Wilson has had quite the opposite experience. He started the day before that 7-0 game and gave up 4 runs in what ended in a 9-0 Cubs win. That was the last time these teams met at Wrigley Field, and the Cubs won the series by a combined score of 18-3. With the momentum going for Chicago, they can wrap up this quick 2-game series strong.'