Pittsburgh pays a visit to Chicago on Sunday, hoping to shut down the Cubs bats in baseball action at Wrigley Field.

Pittsburgh puts its faith in starter Jeff Locke to earn a win and boost his personal mark of 5-1. Getting the ball for the Cubs is Edwin Jackson, who owns a 1-8 record on the season with a 6.29 ERA.



View Pittsburgh vs Chi Cubs Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Pirates were listed as -105 underdogs on the baseball moneyline at many online sportsbooks, including Sportsbook. The total was set at 8 before betting started earlier on Monday over at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings:
The MLB Power Rankings at Odds Shark show the National League's No. 6-rated Pirates taking on the National League's No. 4-rated Cubs in this contest.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Chicago's No. 8 ranked National League offense (4.1 runs per game) against a Pirates defense and pitching staff that sits at No. 1 in the National League at 3.4 runs allowed per game. The Cubs have been averaging 8.3 hits per game, more than the Pirates have managed so far this season (7.8 hits on average).

Comparing defensive stats, Pittsburgh owns the National League's No. 5-rated road mark, allowing 4 runs per game on the highway. Chicago, on the other hand, rates No. 3 in scoring at home.

Last time out for Pittsburgh, they were a 6-2 Sportsbook as they battled the Cubs on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Pirates at -101 were rewarded, while the 8 combined runs moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Pittsburgh looks to continue its winning ways following a victory last time out against the Cubs, a 6-2 final on Saturday in support of A.J. Burnett at Wrigley Field.




Pittsburgh Pirates Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 3-7
Before playing San Francisco are 4-6
After playing Chi Cubs are 5-5
After a win are 6-4

Chicago Cubs Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Cincinnati are 1-9
After playing Pittsburgh are 2-8
After a loss are 2-8

A few Pirates at Cubs trends to consider:
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 9 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 11 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chi Cubs' last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chi Cubs' last 11 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Chi Cubs' last 19 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs' last 6 games


Next up:
Pittsburgh home to San Francisco, Tuesday, June 11
Chi Cubs home to Cincinnati, Monday, June 10