The Pittsburgh Pirates look to emerge victorious in MLB odds action as the Cubs arrive at PNC Park on Sunday.

Chris Rusin gets the ball in front of a hostile crowd for the Cubs on this day; he's 0-2 on the season. The Pirates, meanwhile, will counter with Jeff Locke, who will be looking to improve on his 0-1 mark.



View Chi Cubs vs Pittsburgh Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
If you're backing the visitors in this one, you'll find the Cubs listed as underdogs of +-175 at most sportsbooks. Total bettors saw the number open in the area of 8.5, depending on the book.

Power Rankings:
The Pirates - Cubs odds would favor the Pirates if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Pittsburgh is rated No. 13 in the current National League Odds Shark poll, while Chicago is at No. 15 in the National League.



How They Match Up:
On offense, it's a battle between Pittsburgh and its National League No. 10-rated batting order, averaging 4.1 runs per nine innings, against the National League's No. 15 lineup of the Cubs at 3.8 runs per outing.

Defensively, Chicago features the National League's No. 15-rated defense on the road, allowing 4.9 runs per game. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, comes in at No. 11 in the National League at home, scoring 3.9 runs per game.

Chicago won its last outing, a 4-3 result against the Pirates on September 8. Bettors who backed the Cubs at +127 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (7) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. Chicago got the job done in their last match in a 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday at PNC Park behind starter Jeff Samardzija.




Chicago Cubs Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Houston are 4-6
After playing Pittsburgh are 3-7
After a win are 2-8

Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 3-7
Before playing Cincinnati are 6-4
After playing Chi Cubs are 7-3
After a loss are 3-7

A few Cubs at Pirates trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs' last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs' last 5 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Chi Cubs are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Pittsburgh's last 21 games at home
Pittsburgh is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs


Next up:
Chi Cubs at Houston, Monday, September 10
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, Monday, September 10