The Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs are gearing up for a three-game series, with the first pitch scheduled for Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs, with a 6-6 record, will be playing on their home field where they are currently 3-3 for the season. The Pirates, standing at 7-5, have a 3-3 record on the road this season.
Pitching Matchups and Betting Odds
Shota Imanaga (0-1, 4.50 ERA) is slated to start for Chicago. Imanaga has conceded only one earned run in 26 innings against the Pirates.
Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0, 4.00 ERA) will take the mound for Pittsburgh.
Chicago is entering the game as a -143 favourite on the money line, meaning a bet of £143 is needed to win £100. The over/under is set at 6.5.
Computer Model’s Predictions
SportsLine’s proven computer model has simulated the game 10,000 times to generate its MLB predictions.
The model was profitable last season, going 35-29 on top-rated MLB money-line picks. It also performed well making home run prop picks in 2025, returning nearly 30 units of profit.
The model is projecting the game to go Over 6.5 combined runs 71% of the time, estimating 8.7 total runs.
According to the simulations, the Pirates have three players projected to get more than 1.8 total bases: Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, and Ryan O`Hearn. For the Cubs, the model projects Alex Bregman and Michael Busch to get over 1.7 total bases.
Betting Trends to Note
- The Pirates have gone Over in four of their last two games.
- Three of the Cubs’ last four games have gone over the total.
- The total has gone Over in five of the Cubs’ last six games played on a Friday.
Where to Find the Model’s Picks
The SportsLine model has locked in its picks and MLB predictions for Pirates vs. Cubs.
The model also indicates that one side of the money line holds all the value.
You can find out which side to back by visiting SportsLine.
After 10,000 simulations, the computer model has a strong conviction about the game’s outcome.