The Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs face off in an NL Central matchup at 2:20 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Chicago is listed as a -190 favorite (risk $190 to win $100) at Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over-Under is set at 8.5 (see up-to-date'odds for every game this week on our MLB odds page). Before making any Pirates vs. Cubs picks, you NEED to check out the MLB predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times, and it is 284-243 on top-rated MLB money-line pic ks since the start of the 2021 season, returning over $400 for $100 players. This is the same model that pegged the 2021 Atlanta Braves at 10-1 as one of three best bets to win it all last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
The model knows the Pirates rank in the top five of the National League in triples. Pittsburgh should also benefit from Chicago's penchant for strikeouts on the run prevention side. The Pirates are deploying a starter in Bryse Wilson that has been much better on the road than at home this season. Wilson has a 2.81 ERA in July, with only 2.9 walks per nine innings over the course of the 2022 season.
The model also knows the Cubs have a strong offense. Chicago has six regulars with an OPS over .750 this season, with top-five marks in triples, stolen bases, and on-base percentage. The Cubs are also above-average in hits, doubles, walks, and batting average. On the pitching side, Chicago's Keegan Thompson is sportin g a 0.60 ERA against the Pirates this season, and he has a 3.43 ERA in 2022.